One of the best ways to beat breast cancer is early detection.

The American Cancer Society recommends getting mammograms at the age of 40 and getting regular ones done starting around the age of 50, but there’s a lot more to detection than that.

One of the most important pieces of advice Renee Yanke, Whidbey General Hospital’s cancer program manager, had to offer was to make sure to do a monthly self exam to check for irregular lumps in breasts.

“It’s really about being familiar and knowing and noticing what’s different,” Yanke said.

She also recommended pre-menopausal women do the monthly exam the week after menstruation.

There are different patterns and techniques for self exams, and there are instructions available to download at the American Cancer Society website.

Yanke said there are three steps to breast cancer detection, including the self exam, mammograms and a clinical exam done by a doctor.

For mammograms, Yanke said women should get an order for one from their doctor, to ensure that somebody will be receiving the results to pass along to the patient.

Local Soroptimist International groups offer a service to pay for mammograms for women who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford the procedure.

But mammograms aren’t the only detection test offered at Whidbey General Hospital.

Last year, after organizations like the Soroptimists and other local fundraising groups raised money for it, the hospital added breast MRI capabilities.

“An MRI gives a better picture of what’s going on with the breast tissue,” Yanke said.

In 2014, from the start of the year through the end of September, 21 breast MRIs were done, more than the expected one or two a month.

Not only does a breast MRI provide a better picture than a mammogram, but patients are also able to get biopsies done at the same time, if necessary, something that has already happened twice in 2014. This means that, when necessary, patients don’t need to go in twice for the tests.

“It’s really beginning to be much … more valuable, so it’s being used more and more,” Yanke said of the breast MRI.

Another resource offered by the hospital is the Washington State Breast, Cervical and Colon Health program, which is a state-funded program that screens qualified women for breast and cervical cancer, and both men and women for colon cancer.

“It’s really great that we’re able to provide all these services right here on the island,” Yanke said, “without having to send people off the island.”

For more information about breast cancer and self exams, visit the American Cancer Society website at www.cancer.org