Routine breast screening can be a stressful experience, but Pembroke Regional Hospital does its best to expedite the process for those requiring additional imaging, biopsies or surgical procedures by delivering on these appointments as quickly as possible.
Radiologist Dr. Raluca Antonescu, clinical lead for the Mammography program at PRH, indicates that should an abnormality be found, turn-around time for a recall appointment is often only a matter of days.
The follow-up often results in a determination that everything is fine and no further testing is required.
Biopsies are often scheduled within a week-and-a-half of the original exam. And if surgery is required, patients are usually booked in to meet with a surgeon within two to three weeks of the original mammogram.
According to the Cancer Care Ontario branch of Ontario Health, for the fifth consecutive year, all wait times at Pembroke Regional Hospital for the Ontario Breast Screening Program (OBSP) exceeded provincial targets.
98.8% of PRH patients requiring additional imaging received their callback within the targeted three weeks of their initial screening, compared to 80.5% of patients province-wide.
Timely access improves patient outcomes.
