As Shore’s lead mammographer for the past six years, Marian Martello is beyond happy with her career. She has found a fulfilling field that lets her make a positive difference in the lives of patients every day.
While she loves the science behind mammography, for Martello, there are two other aspects of her work she loves the most – alleviating her patients’ fears, and seeing her breast cancer patients beat the disease.
“Patients often come in worried the test will be painful or that they will learn they have breast cancer. Right away I try to create a positive experience and make them feel comfortable. If they have a positive experience, I know they’ll be more likely to come back for future screenings which is so important for catching breast cancer early,” Martello says. “A patient might be 5 or even 10 years overdue for their mammogram, but I don’t make them feel bad about it. I celebrate the fact that they are here now, and that’s what matters,” Martello says.
There are four primary mammogram procedures conducted at Shore Medical Center where Martello’s expertise is needed:
- Screening mammograms, which is a simple and quick mammogram women age 40 and up should be getting each year to make sure they don’t have breast cancer.
- Diagnostic mammograms, which are more in-depth mammograms conducted when a patient has pain or a lump, or a suspicious lesion was found on a screening mammogram.
- Stereotactic biopsy mammograms are when a breast surgeon or radiologist needs to collect tissue to determine if the suspicious lesion is cancerous. Sometimes they use a mammogram machine because many views of the lesion are needed to get the right tissue. Other times they use an ultrasound machine to collect tissue.
- Localization mammograms, when Martello assists a breast surgeon during a lumpectomy, a procedure to remove a lesion and ensure all the margins of the lesion are removed.
One of the ways Martello helps her patients remain calm no matter what procedure they’re getting is by explaining what will happen, how it will feel, and how long it will take – every step of the way.
“When you know what will happen to you, you’re more likely to tolerate it and remain calm, which helps the patient stay relaxed and helps us get better a better picture of what’s inside their breast,” Martello says. “A mammogram is really relatively painless and over in seconds, so if you’re putting off that mammo, why wait? Call and schedule your mammogram today. I promise I will do everything I can to help you have a great experience.”
