Real-time diagnosis: Changing the game for breast cancer

Your mom, your sister, your friend…maybe even you—breast cancer touches all of our lives. In the U.S. alone, approximately 1 in 8 women will develop the disease during their lifetime.[1] Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women, and the second-leading cause of death.[2]

When it comes to breast cancer, early diagnosis is one of the most important strategies for survival.[3] But if you live hours away from specialists and diagnosticians, the time, travel, and costs add up.

This is a problem the Medical Hospital Center of Odessa, Texas, set out to solve. With the help of vRad, the hospital works with more than 400 physicians across the U.S. to read images remotely for patients who would otherwise have no access to sub-specialists.

For patients, the quick turnaround makes a difference. When Ms. Carol, a patient at the Medical Hospital Center, had an abnormal mammogram, “They wanted an ultrasound. That was actually the height of my anxiety. I’m really grateful that the medical center has the technology because it would have just been another week of wondering what was going to happen.”

When it comes to breast cancer, knowledge is power. By enabling immediate follow-up, patients and doctors can make decisions about next steps in care. Whether a patient is cleared or needs to start a treatment plan, speed matters.

With Cisco networking and collaboration technology, companies like vRad have the power to make life-changing diagnoses in real time. Learn more here.

“Our partnership with Cisco has really changed the playing field for patients and the delivery of healthcare in this country,” – Dr. Sussman, radiologist, vRad

Technology enables real-time diagnosis from everywhere. See the full vRad case study here.

[1] Breastcancer.org, U.S. Breast Cancer Statistics, 2017, http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/understand_bc/statistics

[2] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cancer Facts for Demographic Groups, 2017 https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/dcpc/data/women.htm

[3] American Cancer Society, Breast Cancer Early Detection and Diagnosis, 2017, https://www.cancer.org/cancer/breast-cancer/screening-tests-and-early-detection/american-cancer-society-recommendations-for-the-early-detection-of-breast-cancer.html