Trenholm State’s Radiology Program Shines a Light on Breast Cancer Awareness
Laurie Burnett, Program Coordinator, and Angela Davis, Clinical Coordinator
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among American women, excluding skin cancer. While it primarily affects women, in rare cases, men are also impacted. According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc., 1 in 8 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. In 2025 alone, an estimated 316,950 women and 2,800 men are expected to be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer, while an additional 59,080 new cases of non-invasive (in situ) breast cancer will also be reported. Despite these sobering statistics, early detection continues to offer opportunities for treatment and survival.
One of the most critical tools in recognizing and treating early signs of breast cancer is radiology. Radiology is defined as the branch of medicine that uses medical imaging technologies such as X-rays, CT scans, MRI, ultrasound, and nuclear medicine to diagnose, monitor, and sometimes treat diseases and injuries inside the body. Trenholm State Community College’s Radiology Program is committed to preparing students to be on the frontlines of these early detections, preventions, and treatments.
Laurie Burnett, Program Chair of the Radiology Program, emphasized the importance of training future professionals, especially during October, which is nationally recognized as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. “This month of October serves as a powerful reminder of why training future radiology professionals is so important,” Burnett said. “We consistently stress the importance of these upper-level modalities, such as mammography.”
Students in the program not only learn about mammography as a modality but also gain hands-on training in clinical settings. This provides them with real-world experience in identifying and understanding breast cancer cases. Burnett explained, “Students do clinicals every semester that start at the very beginning of each semester. The locations that they go to are hospitals and, most importantly, imaging centers. We also have two energized labs on campus so the students can practice and prepare for the clinical settings.”
The program’s commitment to excellence has not gone unnoticed. Trenholm’s Radiology Program has received an eight-year accreditation, the longest accreditation a program can earn, demonstrating its credibility, quality, and commitment to advancing healthcare education.
Radiology student Drew Dunn shared how the program’s lessons extend beyond the classroom and into everyday life. “Overall, I feel like this program is doing an excellent job,” Dunn said. “The information and labs that are presented to us can easily be retained. With this information and preparation on breast cancer we have received from our instructors, it allows me to make sure my mother is adamant about getting consistent checks done on her health, being that she likes to sometimes push it off. However, through my guidance and knowledge I have received on this disease and other health matters, I can see the change and discipline she has developed in being more conscious of her health.”
Trenholm State’s Radiology Program continues to go above and beyond, sculpting the next generation of professionals who will not only provide diagnostic imaging but also play a vital role in the fight against breast cancer