What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas…
You all have heard this saying…well I’m in Las Vegas and I’m talking! Oh yes, it’s the city with all the glitz and shows—from Blue Man to Bette. But the biggest hit this week is the NCBC, the 18th Annual National Interdisciplinary Breast Conference of National Consortium of Breast Centers Inc.
This year’s conference brought together 800 attendees of medical professionals involved with breast health to exchange ideas and learn about advances and new techniques in providing care to patients. I’ve definitely been impacted by the different levels of professionals present. There are administrators and managers of breast centers, nurses, radiologists, oncologists, surgeons and, of course, technologists. All of us, together, learning and sharing the most we can about breast health during this four-day conference.
The speakers have been inspiring; they’ve let the technologists know they are appreciated and that their passion needs to be contagious—passed on to younger techs. We’re learning more about pathology and how important the field is in diagnosing the level of breast cancer and discovering the genetic formation. To me, pathologists have always been the silent partner in breast health. What incredible work they are doing!
We’ve been talking about having a navigator in the breast center. No, not a modern-day Columbus, but a navigator that would personally counsel the breast cancer patient. She’d have someone to assist in all her decisions and help her understand the medical decisions she may need to make for herself and her family. If every breast center could incorporate a patient navigator program, it would provide immense emotional support.
The hot topic of digital mammo is definitely being discussed here at NCBC: the transition of going digital, the reimbursement, economics and coding of digital—thanks to my blog partner, Gerry—and the future step of tomosynthesis. Get ready! Amazing results demonstrate that the death rate of breast cancer is down…Great! While we don’t have a cure, but the message we are communicating to get a mammogram—and early—is working. But, we all need to continue to get that message out there: get a mammogram. It’s the best method of detection.
I highly recommend this conference. I’m not their marketing director nor do I receive kick-backs! I’ve attended a few conferences in my 30 years in the mammography field and this really is a grand spice rack of speakers! They have grand expertise and are eager to share this information from all over the world. If you are looking for the best conference to get educated and understand what it takes to become a better, this is it. As a mammographer, it impressed me to see nurses who are breast center directors sitting in on technologist lectures. When I asked them why, they said they wanted to understand the challenges we face and be aware of techs’ responsibilities. Thank you!
At the end of the day, the most intriguing lecture was a selective panel discussing the interdisciplinary approach to the diagnosis and treatment to breast cancer. It was intense and quite controversial at times, but in the end the main focus was the patient. What can we do to provide the best breast care to the patient? Yes, we need to show care, empathy. It’s early detection of breast cancer and we are working together to get the message to the patient.