New technology allows radiologists to see abnormalities in breast tissue
New technology at Munson Healthcare Manistee Hospital allows radiologists to better screen patients for abnormalities in breast tissue.
The hospital recently began using 3D tomography for breast screening exams in addition to standard two-dimensional mammograms.
The technology takes multiple images of the breast to give radiologists greater opportunity to view tissue.
“It allows us to look at dense breast tissue much more easily,” said James Brand, BS, RT(R), RDMS, RDCS, RVT, director of Diagnostic Imaging at the hospital. “We’ve already found some masses that we would not have found using two-dimensional technology.”
The technology was approved by the Federal Drug Administration in 2011. Brand said the hospital has had it available for the past couple of months. It works by using an X-ray that sweeps in an arc over the patient’s breast. The computer creates a 3D image of the breast in one-millimeter slices providing great detail for radiologists.
Typically, women who visit the hospital for the mammography will have a conventional two-dimensional screening and be given the option for the three-dimensional exam. Not all insurances cover the technology.
“We find that 3D tomography cuts back on false positives and false negatives,” Brand said. “We are very confident that we are going to save somebody’s life with this technology.”
Manistee Hospital’s breast health services are located in the comfortable and confidential women’s services suite. The hospital offers several technologists certified in digital mammography to ensure the comfort of the patient and quality of the testing.
For more information on breast health services at the hospital, go to munsonhealthcare.org/manistee-imaging.