MountainView interim CEO urges women not to delay mammograms during Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Greg Repetti, Interim CEO, MountainView Regional Medical Center

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an opportunity to focus on lifestyle and risk factors associated with breast cancer as well as the importance of screening.

In the United States, breast cancer is the most common type of cancer diagnosed in women aside from skin cancers. It is also the second leading cause of cancer death in women after lung cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. On a personal level, breast cancer impacted me and my family directly in 1979, when my mother was diagnosed. She was a fighter and lived almost another 10 years before succumbing to the disease.

Breast cancer is also the most commonly diagnosed cancer for New Mexico women. The New Mexico Department of Health reported that in 2024, an estimated 1,780 women in the state would be diagnosed with breast cancer, and about 300 were expected to die from the disease.

Mammogram screenings are the best way to find breast cancer early, when it is easier to treat and before there are symptoms. However, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 25 percent of women ages 50 to 74 have not been screened in the past two years.

For women of average risk, the American College of Radiology recommends annual mammograms starting at age 40. Women with strong family histories of breast cancer, African Americans and those of Ashkenazi Jewish descent should have a risk assessment at age 25 to see if a screening mammogram is needed before they are 40.

If you’ve been putting off a screening mammogram, I encourage you to make it a priority. Throughout October, MountainView Women’s Imaging Center, 4351 E. Lohman Ave., Ste. 101, will offer extended hours, with 3D screenings on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Call 575-556-6600 to make an appointment.

Our Women’s Imaging Center offers a spa-like atmosphere, complete with robes and a sitting area. We provide this for patients with the hope that it makes the process more comfortable. Along with 3D mammography, the center also offers breast ultrasound, image-guided breast biopsy and bone density testing.

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, MountainView is lighting up the hospital pink during October. We are proud to show our support and stand with survivors, families and advocates in the community.

For more information about the Women’s Imaging Center, visit MountainViewRegional.com/Womens-Imaging, where you can also schedule a mammogram online.

Greg Repetti is interim CEO of MountainView Regional Medical Center.