Breast Tomosynthesis / 3D Mammography

Screening for Breast Cancer

Doctors and scientists agree that early detection is the best defense against breast cancer. If we find cancer in I’s earliest stages, the chances of surviving it are good. Until now, the best way to do that has been with digital mammography.

Digital Mammography uses a specially designed digital camera and a computer to produce an image that is displayed on a high-resolution computer monitor.

While digital mammography is still one of the most advanced technologies available today, it is only a two-dimensional picture of the breast. Since the breast is composed of pockets of dense tissue surrounded by fat, when x-rayed, it creates an image that looks something like smoky haze. The overlapping tissue in the image makes it difficult to see tiny “spots”, called microcalcifications, and other subtle signs of early cancer.

In some cases, the radiologist may ask you to come back for a follow-up examination such as a diagnostic mammogram to rule out any suspicious areas.

 

An Additional Screening Tool:

For decades doctors have been searching for a technology to help them find very small cancers or rule out “false positives” and reduce the number of women who are called back for a diagnostic mammogram.
Scientists have developed a new technology called Breast Tomosynthesis/ 3D Mammography, which has been shown in clinical studies to be superior to digital mammography.

Breast Tomosynthesis / 3D Mammography allows doctors to examine breast tissue one layer at a time. This exciting new technology has been recently FDA approved and is now available.

Breast Tomosynthesis / 3D Mammography is a new technology in the fight against breast cancer. A 3D mammogram is used in conjunction with traditional digital mammography as part of your annual screening mammogram to capture more breast images. Very low x-ray energy is used during the screening examination so your radiation exposure is safely below the ACR guidelines.

What is Breast Tomosynthesis?

Breast Tomosynthesis / 3D Mammography uses high-powered computing to convert digital breast images into a stack of very thin layers or slices – building what is essentially a 3-Dimensional Mammogram.

During the Tomosynthesis part of the exam, the x-ray arm sweeps in a slight arc over the breast, taking multiple breast images in just seconds. A computer produces a 3D image of your breast tissue in one millimeter layers.Now the radiologist can see the breast tissue detail in a way never before possible. Instead of viewing all the complexities of your breast tissue in a flat image, the doctor can examine the tissue one millimeter at a time. Fine details are more clearly visible, no longer hidden by the tissue above and below.

"Better Technology for Better Healthcare"