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A Real Life-Saver: Mammography Intervention Makes a Difference

When Elaine Nelson, RN, HSAG Clinical Quality Specialist, went to a local craft store seeking supplies for a mammography project, she hoped she would be helping to save lives. She had no idea, though, that she would save the life of the store’s owner.

Ms. Nelson was working on an intervention that involved stringing five different-sized beads together to create an educational tool that shows patients how breast cancer tumors can grow when they are undetected and untreated. She needed 3,000 sets of the beads to distribute to physicians statewide. While working on the project, Ms. Nelson encouraged the craft store owner to get a mammogram. The owner, who admitted to having procrastinated over getting a mammogram up to that point, was motivated to schedule and follow through with the test. Physicians found that the owner had stage 2 breast cancer, and immediately proceeded with the two lumpectomies, radiation, and chemotherapy that were required to fight the cancer—which had spread to her lymph nodes. Diagnosed in July 2001, the woman has had a good recovery and continues to run the craft store. She credits Ms. Nelson with saving her life.

Mammography Reminders: Medicare pays for routine screening mammograms annually for women over 40. Most health plans cover mammography Information on free or low-cost mammograms can be obtained from: American Cancer Society 1-800-ACS-2345 ADHS Well Woman Healthcheck Program 1-888-257-8502

When local ABC-affiliate KNXV-TV contacted HSAG for a human interest story that would promote mammography, the producer was intrigued with the story of the beads and how a chance encounter saved a life. Ms. Nelson and the store owner were each interviewed, and the resulting three-minute-plus segment aired on the 10 p.m. news on April 7. Working in concert with the television station, the East Valley Tribune ran an article on the same day that also told the story.

The concept for the breast cancer beads and poster intervention was initially developed by the New Mexico Medical Review Association. The beads and poster portrayed the average sizes of lumps found when women:

• Get regular mammograms and do monthly breast self-exams (BSEs)
• Wait to get their first mammogram and don’t do monthly BSEs
• Do monthly BSEs but don’t get annual mammograms
• Do only occasional BSEs
• Do not practice BSEs and do not get annual mammograms

A local volunteer senior group helped by stringing the beads. HSAG distributed the poster and bead sets to 3,000 Arizona primary care providers. The message was, “The beads make it real.”

Ms. Nelson, who also serves on the American Cancer Society’s Advocacy Committee, is currently working on a grant application to fund another 2,000 sets of beads to encourage women to get mammograms.