Breast screenings saves lives, and the James Cancer Hospital’s Stefanie Spielman Comprehensive Breast Center is a world leader in providing screenings, such as mammograms. “I really care about each and every patient and I want to make sure every woman has access to good health care and knows that we’re here to help then through this,” said Amy Kerger, DO, a diagnostic radiologist and mammogram expert. In this episode, Kerger explains the history of breast screening, which dates back more than 100 years and began with X-rays. Low-dose radiation mammogram machines were introduced in the 1960s “and the United States started screenings programs in the 1990s when the (Food and Drug Administration) enacted standards,” Kerger said. Every woman should begin getting yearly mammograms at the age of 40, and those considered high risk, due to family history and other factors, should start at an earlier age in consultation with their doctors. “There are still 20 to 30 percent of women who don’t come for yearly screenings,” Kerger said. “If you wait until it’s palpable or other symptoms, the treatments are harder and it’s harder to save that woman’s life.” The Spielman offers breast screenings in several locations throughout central Ohio. All James mammograms are done with the latest 3D technology, which is known as breast tomosynthesis. “Ultrasound is often used for women with dense breast tissue,” Kerger explained. “Women with dense breast tissue have a small, increased risk of breast cancer and it’s easier to see through the dense tissue with ultrasound.” Overall, 8 percent of women will get breast cancer during their lives, Kerger said. Spielman experts discuss family history and several other factors, such as having a child at a later age or getting periods at a younger age, and determine each patient’s risk of breast cancer. Those who score a 20-percent risk are considered high risk and are referred to the Spielman’s High-Risk Breast Cancer Program. “At the Spielman we are all specialists in breast cancer,” Kerger says. “I only read breast imaging. Our surgeons and radiologists only specialize in breast cancer. I feel that we know what patients are going through and we’re there to help you get through that.