Bunco for Breast Care scheduled for Oct. 9 in Federal Way

Missing your annual mammogram can be dicey, so help fund breast services for women in need with a fun evening of Bunco on Thursday, Oct. 9 at 6:30 p.m. at the Twin Lakes Golf & Country Club in Federal Way.

Proceeds from this fundraiser featuring the popular dice game will help fund breast care—from mammograms to surgery—for women in the Federal Way community who lack medical insurance or the ability to pay for the care they need.

Admission cost is $22 per person and includes light appetizers and prizes. Specialty drinks such as Mammo Martinis and Cosmos for Cancer will be available for purchase. Reservations are required. Prepay by credit card by calling toll-free (888) 825-3227. Seating is limited and this popular event fills quickly.

Why mammograms are important

A mammogram, such as those provided at the Women’s Health & Breast Center at St. Francis, is a special kind of X-ray of the breasts that can help find breast cancer early, when it can still be cured.

Annual mammograms are recommended for women older than 40, even if they have no signs of breast cancer. Mammograms are also recommended for younger women who have symptoms of breast cancer or who have a high risk of breast cancer based on family history.

Early detection can save the woman’s breast—and her life. Mammograms can show tumors that may be cancer long before they can be felt. Treating tumors when they are still small makes treating and curing cancer easier.

Each year, about 185,000 women in the United States get breast cancer and about 40,000 die from it. Also, the older the woman, the more likely she is to get breast cancer, studies show.

Digital mammography at St. Francis

The Women’s Health & Breast Center at St. Francis uses state-of-the-art technology to provide digital mammograms. This direct-capture technology offers improved visibility of the breast, particularly near the skin line, the chest wall and in women with dense breast tissue. Digital images can be viewed in seconds, allowing the mammographer to confirm proper positioning. This reduces the likelihood of having to come back for additional images.

Digital mammography takes an electronic image of the breast and stores it directly in a computer. This method uses less radiation than traditional film mammography. Digital mammography improves image storage and transmission because images can be stored and sent electronically. Radiologists also use software to help interpret digital mammograms more quickly and precisely than is possible with film mammograms.

St. Francis Hospital, which has served the Federal Way area since 1987, provides a broad array of inpatient and outpatient medical services.