Comprehensive breast cancer risk software will help enable women to receive the right breast care based on their risk factors.
Author: Sherry Farney
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McLaren Flint, part of the statewide Karmanos Cancer Network and a regional leader in cancer care and prevention, has enhanced its capabilities through the addition of Volpara® Risk Pathways™, an industry-leading software program streamlining patients’ risk assessment and care management for breast and other common cancers.
Volpara has further expanded the care abilities and proficiencies of the McLaren Flint Comprehensive Breast Care program.
“Breast cancer risk assessment is a priority for McLaren Flint in our effort to enable early detection of cancer for our patients,” said Chris Candela, President and CEO. “Implementing Volpara Risk Pathways has given our clinicians the tools to identify and manage high-risk patients to help ensure that every patient is getting the care that is right for them.”
During their lifetime, one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, making it imperative for women to not only receive regular mammography screening but, together with their health care providers, to understand their personal risk of developing breast cancer in order for them to be provided any additional screenings or care they require.
The patient plays a very important role in their own risk assessment by providing details about personal and family history. Volpara Risk Pathways makes it convenient to reach women whether they are in a primary care office, OB/GYN office, or in their own home. The easy-to-access digital health questionnaires can be completed from wherever there is an internet connection.
Once a patient’s personal risk information has been collected, both McLaren Flint Imaging Center and McLaren Fenton can access a set of risk models and clinical guidelines to accurately identify and direct patients deemed a high risk for follow-up care, including genetic testing and medical imaging such as mammography, ultrasound, or breast MRI.
“Genetic testing and follow-up imaging have generally been reserved for patients who already were diagnosed with breast cancer,” said Dr. Ashley Richardson, Fellowship-Trained Breast Oncology Surgeon. “We want to get ahead of this problem. Why wait for cancer to happen? We want all our patients to have the chance to know if they are at high risk, and then together we will plan prevention strategies and devise personalized early detection screening.”
Volpara Risk Pathways also facilitates convenient integration with leading genetic labs. Once a need for genetic testing or other follow-up care has been determined, the software makes it easy for health care providers to track patients’ progress, update their risk profiles, and generate additional communications, including educational and medical necessity materials.
Says Dr. Linda Lawrence, Board-Certified Radiologist, Fellowship-Trained Breast Radiologist, and Medical Director of the McLaren Flint Imaging Center, “Cancer care is always progressing, but right now until there is a cure, early detection is the best chance we can give patients if they do face a cancer diagnosis. Volpara Risk Pathways gives us the best shot at reducing suffering for patients and families in our community.”