Saving Lives Through Early Detection

SOME PEOPLE MAY be hesitant about getting mammograms, but yearly screenings save lives. Behind the technology are physicians like Tenafly resident Dr. Shari Siegel-Goldman, more commonly known as Dr. Goldman. A radiologist specializing in breast imaging, Goldman has spent nearly three decades at Lenox Hill Radiology in Rockland County, guiding patients through screenings, diagnoses, and next steps with compassion and clarity.

Her decision to specialize in breast imaging was shaped by personal experience. While in residency, her mother-in-law was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer and passed away. “That motivated me to make a difference in the field,” Goldman explains.

BEHIND THE SCREENINGS

Radiology, Goldman explains, is “the imaging of the body. For breast imaging, we use breast ultrasounds, MRI, and mammography including 3D mammograms.” These tools allow physicians to detect cancers in their earliest stages, when outcomes are most successful.

Misconceptions continue to persist. Goldman notes that a lot of patients are afraid of the compression or radiation from mammograms and just want to do an ultrasound.

“That’s not really a safe way to go,” she explains, “because mammography shows things that the ultrasound cannot, and ultrasound can find subtle things that might be missed on the mammogram, so they’re complementary.”

Women may be unsure about what age to start having mammograms. “There’s been a lot of confusion in the media, but the official recommendation is yearly mammography from age 40 on,” Goldman says.

Breast imaging has changed dramatically since Goldman first began practicing. “We used to have X-ray films. Now everything is digital on the computers with high resolution, and then in the last three or four years, we have AI helping us,” she says. She says artificial intelligence helps draw attention to the most suspicious areas, which radiologists can then evaluate.

There are also other mammography technological innovations. “We now have 3D mammography, also known as tomosynthesis,” Goldman explains. “That has helped us find more subtle cancers and to significantly lower the callback rate and false positive. It’s been a great addition.” she says, adding, “The advance of the technology has really helped, in some ways, to streamline the practice of medicine and improve the quality of care to our patients,” notes Goldman.

“I feel fortunate to see the progress that’s been made in the technology over these years. It’s amazing. It’s very useful,” Goldman says. She explains that it helps radiologists get through their work more quickly, which is key because there is a shortage of radiologists that do breast imaging. “So, the more work that we can do, the more people we can help,” Goldman says. She thinks that AI won’t replace radiologists but will help them with their work.

A MONTH OF AWARENESS

October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, is the perfect time for action. “Go get your mammogram,” Goldman urges. “Bring a friend or a family member that might otherwise not go, and you’re helping to save their lives as well.”

For many women, the idea of a mammogram is daunting. Goldman works to put patients at ease, especially when biopsies are required. She reassures them that even if it turns out they have breast cancer, “the fact that you’re here and getting diagnosed is going to mean that you’ll have higher chances of being cured, so that’s the power of early detection.”

She has witnessed the difference early detection makes firsthand. Delays can be devastating. “I see patients who are afraid to come in, and they come in with these very large masses.” She notes that people of all ages present with advanced cancer. “Others maybe were afraid or in denial, or they’re from communities where they didn’t have easy access to healthcare, so they didn’t get the help they needed.”

Goldman is grateful for the Tenafly community that has supported her busy work/life balance over the last 28 years. She credits the Tenafly community spirit and her family and friends who have all pitched in to help her successfully raise three children through the public school system of Tenafly while balancing a busy full-time career.

She has been deeply involved locally through volunteering, serving on the board at Temple Sinai, and running in the Tenafly 5K with her dogs. For Goldman, community and medicine are deeply intertwined: Both are about helping people live healthier, better lives.

BY SPENCER WATSON