Black women are more likely to get screened for breast cancer at places with fewer resources and without proper accreditation. They also frequently experience longer waiting periods between mammograms and additional check-ups. In response, NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health has unveiled a state-of-the-art 3D mammogram machine to revolutionize breast cancer detection at Gotham Health, Cumberland in Brooklyn.
The development contributes to the mission of NYC Health + Hospital in providing cutting-edge care to underserved communities in New York. The municipal health agency is the largest in the nation, serving more than a million New Yorkers.
“We do serve an underserved patient population, and we do have a big proportion of our population as Black women, so this really assists with detecting disease in them,” said Dr. Purnima Popli, medical director of Gotham Health, Cumberland.
The new technology offers a three-dimensional view of the breast, providing physicians with a detailed image that makes identifying abnormalities or small lesions easier. This is especially beneficial for women with denser breasts, said Popli.
“Black women tend to have higher (density) breast tissue than white women, so this technology is particularly helpful in this patient population,” she said.
Popli said the mammogram machine can detect cancers early, increasing the likelihood of successful treatment.
“Breast cancer is one of the cancers that is treatable early on. It goes into remission if caught early,” she said. “The problem with what we see right now is when patients don’t get screened, they get diagnosed much later, which really affects the chances of survival.”
While breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in U.S. women overall, it is the primary cause of cancer death in Black and Hispanic women. Black women experience a 4% lower incidence rate of breast cancer compared to white women, yet face a significantly higher breast cancer death rate, reaching 40%. They also possess the lowest five-year relative breast cancer survival rate among all other racial/ethnic groups for every stage of diagnosis, according to the American Cancer Society.
To combat these disparities, Popli said Gotham Health, Cumberland, where many Black female patients are served, has adopted an inclusive approach. “Our principle is that health care is a necessity. There should be no disparities in health care. It is something that should be easily (accessible) to everyone,” she said.
Popli added that Gotham Health, Cumberland also tries to address patient concerns in a single visit. “We try to do everything that we can possibly get done during their one visit here, including trying to get their screening mammogram the same day (as another appointment),” she said. “We do have walk-in availability that patients can use. Once they see their primary care provider, they can just go to our radiology department and get that test done.”To schedule an appointment with Gotham Health, Cumberland, call 1-844-692-4692 or go to https://www.nychealthandhospitals.org/services/breast-health/.