Mammograms: No reason not to do it

Breast cancer was the last thing on Patricia Goullette’s mind.

At age 66, she was working part time, building a house and helping to care for her husband, who has medical problems. She was also dealing with erythromelalgia, a rare vascular disorder that causes burning pain and redness in the extremities and limits her ability to walk.

Then her annual mammogram showed subtle changes in her breast: a 5-millimeter area of asymmetry, small but suspicious. Further testing confirmed that it was cancer.

It came as a shock. Just last year, Goullette’s mammogram was clear, and breast cancer doesn’t run in her family.

“I was very nervous,” she said. “But everyone at Kootenai Health who brought me through it was so caring. They made me feel confident in them, and because of that confidence I felt in them, my nerves were calmed.”

“If you catch this disease at an earlier state, it is highly curable,” said Dr. Kevin Mulvey, the medical director of Oncology Services at Kootenai Health. He was also Goullette’s physician throughout her treatment.

In April, Goullette opted for a partial mastectomy, often called a lumpectomy. The portion of the breast containing the tumor was removed, along with some surrounding tissue. She also underwent five weeks of radiation treatment. A lumpectomy combined with radiation can be just as effective as a mastectomy, Mulvey said.

For Goullette, the journey has been surprisingly fast. She had her initial mammogram in February and her surgery just a few months later. Support from family, friends and coworkers helped her through a frightening and stressful time in her life.

“I’m going to walk through this one day at a time, one test at a time,” she said. “One way or another, I was going to get through this, and I was going to be fine.”

Goullette said her care team at Kootenai Health also made a big difference in her outlook. Their knowledge, confidence and support eased the worst of her fears.

“They really cared about me as a person,” she said. “They made me feel like I could trust them and they were going to take care of me.”

Goullette said she encourages all the women in her life to get yearly mammograms.

“I’m just grateful that I had the mammogram at the beginning of the year like I normally do,” she said. “You might think you’re fine. But in one year, that cancer grew.”

Mammography is safe and relatively painless, Mulvey said, with minimal radiation exposure. Women ages 50 and older should have a mammogram every year, while women between 40 and 50 should consult with their physicians about whether mammography is needed.

“The data is clear that it can improve survival,” Mulvey said. “I can’t think of a reason not to do it.”

However, Idaho’s mammography rates are among the lowest in the nation: In 2014, only 62 percent of Idaho women ages 40 and older had a recent mammogram, according to the American Cancer Society. That was the lowest reported percentage of any state.

Where cost is a factor, help is available through services like the Women’s Health Check Program, which helps uninsured, low-income women gain access to breast and cervical cancer screening and diagnostic services. If diagnosed with cancer through Women’s Health Check enrollment, patients are eligible for Breast and Cervical Cancer Medicaid for treatment coverage. Panhandle Health District coordinates the program.

Last week, Goullette moved into her new home in Sandpoint and had her last radiation treatment. She feels like she’s come full circle, and she’s looking to the future with her husband.

“We’re going to focus on being near our family and being together,” she said.