From mammograms and FAST MRI to Tyrer-Cuzick risk assessment and self-exams, Intermountain Health is encourageing all women 40 years old and older to take steps for early detection of breast cancer.
(PRUnderground) November 2nd, 2025
Even though National Breast Cancer Awareness Month is coming to a close, Intermountain Health wants women to take charge of their health this Breast Cancer Awareness Month and beyond. With more mammogram appointments available on certain Saturdays throughout the year, the goal is to make screening for every woman easy and accessible. From the Tyrer-Cuzick risk assessment to FAST MRI scans, Intermountain Health is making early detection easier and giving women the care they deserve.
Intermountain Health experts encourage women to begin annual screening mammography at the age of 40 and continue for as long as they are healthy. Even if a women can’t get an appointment this month doctors are urging them to get it scheduled for the next convenient time.
“Breast cancer is a year around disease, and the important part is to get in the habit of annual screenings,” said Maria Borrero, MD, an oncology physician at the Intermountain Health Alta View Clinic. “When something is on your calendar, you’re more likely to stick with it, so it’s important women get a screening mammogram scheduled even if it’s not in October.”
To help make screenings more convenient for busy women, Intermountain Health offers Saturday appointments at least once a month throughout the year at select hospitals.
“We understand women in our community get busy taking care of day-to-day life and we don’t want them to go without this vital screening,” said Dr. Borrero. “We want women to be healthy so they can be there for the people they care about and those who rely on them.”
Women who receive their annual mammogram at Intermountain Health will also have additional resources in determining their risk of developing breast cancer in the future.
Patients take a survey before their mammogram with the hope of determining possible increased risks based on several factors. Those women who are deemed to have increased risks may benefit from additional screenings.
The Tyrer-Cuzick questionnaire is a risk assessment calculator that measures a woman’s 10-year and lifetime risk for developing breast cancer based on family medical history, density of breast tissue, and genealogy.
“In the past we mostly used family history to determine risk, but now we have a host of different data points to more accurately measure a woman’s overall risk of breast cancer,” said Dr. Borrero. “This is another tool we have to help women catch breast cancer early and increase survival rates.”
Women who score a 20 or higher on their assessment are considered to be at high risk for breast cancer. It also makes them eligible for a FAST MRI breast scan, which is more sensitive and better at detecting issues in the breast tissue.
FAST MRI only takes 10 minutes and costs considerably less than a traditional MRI screening. This year, the service has expanded from Intermountain Medical Center to include McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden, American Fork Hospital, and Park City Hospital. FAST MRI is scheduled to be available at Logan Regional Hospital by the end of this year.
Doctors say breast MRI scans won’t replace the need for an annual mammogram because those screenings can still detect some cancers better.
In the United States, one in eight women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime. Survival rates have increased dramatically in recent decades thanks to increases in annual screenings.
To schedule a screening visit intermountainhealthcare.org/mammogram. To see some questions from the Tyrer-Cuzick Risk Assessment Calculator, click here.
About Intermountain Health
Headquartered in Utah with locations in six states and additional operations across the western U.S., Intermountain Health is a nonprofit system of 33 hospitals, over 400 clinics, medical groups with some 4,600 employed physicians and advanced care providers, a health plans division called Select Health with more than one million members, and other health services. Helping people live the healthiest lives possible, Intermountain is committed to improving community health and is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare by using evidence-based best practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes at sustainable costs. For up-to-date information and announcements, please see the Intermountain Health newsroom at https://news.intermountainhealth.org/.
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Original Press Release.
