Artesia General Hospital Launches “Catch It Early” Campaign: When Breast Cancer Is Found Early, Survival Is 99 Percent

Artesia General Hospital is launching its “Catch It Early” campaign this month with a simple message for women 40 and older across southeastern New Mexico: when breast cancer is found early, the odds are strongly in your favor.

According to the American Cancer Society, the five-year relative survival rate for breast cancer that is still confined to the breast is 99 percent. When the cancer has reached distant parts of the body before it is found, that figure drops to about 32 percent. The difference between those two numbers is often a screening mammogram.

“A mammogram can find cancer years before you or your doctor can feel it,” said Claudia Valdez, Assistant Director of Imaging at Artesia General Hospital. “At that stage, treatment is usually simpler, recovery is shorter, and the outcome is far better. That is what catching it early actually means for a woman and her family.”

Early-stage cancers are more often treated with breast-conserving surgery instead of mastectomy, and some women avoid chemotherapy altogether. The American College of Radiology and the Society of Breast Imaging recommend annual screening beginning at age 40 for women at average risk.

Women 40 and older can schedule a screening mammogram at AGH without a physician referral. Appointments are available Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., by calling 1-855-RAD-EXAM (1-855-723-3926) or requesting an appointment online at artesiageneral.com/mammogram. Spanish-speaking staff are available.

AGH performs screening mammograms with 3D technology, also known as breast tomosynthesis. Instead of a single flat image, the system captures multiple low-dose images from different angles and assembles them into thin layers that a board-certified radiologist reviews one at a time. That layered view helps find small cancers that overlapping tissue can hide on a traditional 2D image, and it reduces the number of women called back for follow-up images that turn out to be normal.

The technology matters for the many women who have dense breast tissue, which makes cancer harder to spot on a 2D mammogram. Under a federal rule that took effect in September 2024, every mammogram results letter now tells a woman whether her tissue is dense so she and her provider can decide whether additional screening makes sense.

AGH’s mammography program is accredited by the American College of Radiology and certified under the FDA’s Mammography Quality Standards Act. When follow-up imaging is needed, breast ultrasound and breast MRI are available on-site, including a new dedicated breast MRI coil.

A screening mammogram takes about 15 minutes. Most health insurance plans cover it at no cost as a preventive service, and Medicare covers one screening every 12 months for women 40 and older. Women who are uninsured or have a high deductible can purchase a self-pay 3D screening mammogram through MDsave at artesiageneral.com/save-with-mdsave.

Artesia General Hospital is a nonprofit acute care community hospital founded in 1939, serving Artesia, Carlsbad, Roswell, and southeastern New Mexico. AGH is DNV accredited and the only hospital in New Mexico certified as a Great Place to Work. For more information, visit artesiageneral.com.