KINGSVILLE, Texas —
Christus Spohn Hospital - Kleberg is making strides in their mammography department. The hospital recently renovated their department to include the latest 3D mammography technology.
Rather than driving to Christus Spohn's hospitals in Corpus or Beeville, women in rural Kleberg County now have the chance to take the short drive to get what could potentially be a lifesaving mammogram in Kingsville.
Mammogram tech, Jeannie Daughtry joined First Edition live from the hospital to share how this new technology will benefit both regular and first-time patients. She says now that their mammogram technology can create both 2D and3D images, it provides her mammography team with the best tools to examine a patient's breast tissue.
The American Cancer Society reports that when breast cancer is detected early and in the localized stage, it gives patients 99% survival rate. Women should start receiving mammograms at 40 years old. Those who have a higher risk or have a family history can start before 40 years old.
Daughtry says receiving a routine annual mammogram and catching cancer early could reduce treatment time, enhance a prognosis and very well save a woman's life.
It wasn't long ago that Christus Spohn Hospital - Kleberg volunteer, Peggy Derouen went in for a routine mammogram of her own. In fact, her latest mammogram caught something that would've gone undetected had she not made the time to make her appointment. What was found in her breast tissue ended up being benign, but she says that her experience just goes to show how important those annual mammograms are.
Both Daughtry and Derouen are encouraging woman all over the Coastal Bend to take the time to schedule an appointment. They say it's a fast and easy process that's benefits far outweigh the risks.