|
Beginning in January 2012, Mercy Women’s Centers at St. Charles and St. Anne Hospitals will begin using 3-D imaging for breast mammography.
This 3-D imaging, or Tomosynthesis, will become the standard mammography tool used for breast screening. The Mercy Women’s Centers at St. Anne and St. Charles will be the first facilities in this region and third in Ohio to offer this technology.
“We are so excited to offer this new technology, which was just approved by the FDA this February following 10 years of research,” said Susan Jaros, director, Mercy Women’s Care. “We want our patients to feel as comfortable and at ease as possible. This is added peace of mind of knowing their physician has the clearest, most comprehensive mammograms available in our region.”
Tomosynthesis enables radiologists to see “inside” the breast. The process includes 15 successive images taken at slightly different angles across the breast, resulting in improved accuracy in screening results and pinpointing of tumor location, Jaros said. Tomosynthesis takes 3D and 2D images at one machine.
The advantages of Tomosynthesis include:
• Easier detection: Improves the radiologist’s ability to screen for and detect potential breast cancers
• Earlier detection: Helps physicians detect smaller tumors sooner – at the earliest stages of breast cancer
• Better visualization: Shows the breast in slices, making it easier to see a hidden or small cancer
• Fewer call-backs: Able to distinguish harmless abnormalities from real tumors, resulting in fewer false positives, meaning less anxiety and fewer biopsies
• More comprehensive: When cancer is detected, 15 percent of women have another tumor in the same breast or the other breast. Tomosynthesis evaluates both the tumor site and all remaining portions of both breasts.
“By offering women the latest technology in mammography, we hope to increase the number of women who will be routinely screened,” Dr. Richard Cooper, radiologist with Mercy Women’s Care Center said. “Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among women, exceeded only by lung cancer. The stage at which breast cancer is detected influences a woman’s chance of survival. If detected early, the five-year survival rate is 97 percent.”
 |
Health 
Subscribe to this comment's feed