Press Releases

LOWELL, MA – Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03), a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Health Subcommittee, was joined by Fitchburg Mayor Sam Squailia and State Representative Mike Kushmerek to tour UMass Memorial HealthAlliance-Clinton Hospital’s Fitchburg Campus Simonds-Sinon Regional Cancer Center where the hospital used $450,000 in federal funding secured by Trahan to purchase and install a new 3D mammography system.

“Early detection is absolutely essential in the battle against breast cancer,” said Congresswoman Trahan. “I’m so proud of the work we did to secure the funding for this new 3D mammography machine, which is already making sure women here in Fitchburg and across the region get the most accurate, potentially lifesaving screenings possible.”

“To build and sustain a healthy community it is essential to educate our residents on the benefits of regular health screenings; it is a great addition to the city to have a place women can access without long commutes or exorbitant fees,” said Mayor Squailia. “Many thanks to our congressional delegation for working to secure these much needed and appreciated resources.”

“Thank you Congresswoman Trahan for your leadership in securing $450,000 in federal funding for the recent purchase of 3D mammography equipment at the HealthAlliance-Clinton Hospital Fitchburg campus,” said Steve Roach, President of HealthAlliance-Clinton Hospital. “This new technology will help ensure patients across the communities we serve – including underserved minorities and people with preexisting conditions – have access to the high-quality screening and treatment they need.”

Trahan secured $450,000 in federal funding to enable the acquisition and installation of a digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) to replace an aging full-field digital mammography system in the new Outpatient Palliative Care and Wellness Center, located on the second floor of the Simonds-Sinon Regional Cancer Center at UMass Memorial HealthAlliance-Clinton Hospital’s Fitchburg Campus. The hospital provides mammography services, both screening and diagnostic, for over 12,000 patients every year, and since the new system’s installation in late November, 322 patients have been screened.

“As the child of a breast cancer survivor, I have seen first-hand the impact that detection and prevention services, such as a mammography, have in fighting breast cancer,” said State Representative Kushmerek. “Thank you to Congresswoman Trahan for recognizing such an important healthcare need in Fitchburg and obtaining funding for the new mammography equipment.”

3D mammograms were approved by the FDA in 2011 and use multiple low-dose X-ray images from different angles to create a mammogram picture that allows the radiologist to view the patient’s breast tissue in multiple layers. 3D mammograms can detect up to 40% more cancers than 2D mammograms. Effective breast cancer screenings reduce breast cancer mortality by enabling earlier cancer detection.

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