North Andover Hosting Dana-Farber Institute Mammography Van

NORTH ANDOVER, MA —The North Andover Health Department has announced that it will be hosting the Dana-Farber Mammography Van, which will provide digital screenings (3D mammography) to women due for their annual mammogram.

From 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on June 20, the van will be outside North Andover Town Hall, located at 120 Main St. There are 30 appointments available for the day and registration is required and available online, by phone (617-632-1974) or via email (mammo_van@dfci.harvard.edu).

Organizers said the process of getting a mammogram in the Dana-Farber Mammography Van takes less than 20 minutes.

According to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, most forms of insurance are accepted, and Dana-Farber will bill the patient's insurance company for the screening. The patient will be financially responsible for any related co-pays, deductibles and follow-up appointments.

Screenings are performed by skilled, certified technologists, and images are interpreted by board-certified radiologists from both Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital, organizers said.

When do you need a mammogram? Here are breast cancer screening recommendations from three major American healthcare agencies.

• American Cancer Society
• CDC's United States Preventive Services Task Force
• American College of Radiology (ACR) and Society of Breast Imaging (SBI) 2021 guidelines for average-risk women and 2023 guidelines for high-risk women

Anyone with questions or concerns is asked to contact Carolyn Lam, the North Andover Public Health Nurse, at 978-688-9543 or Clam@northandoverma.gov.