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6 ARCHBOLD
MEDICAL CENTER
Make an
appointment!
Screening can
bring peace of
mind. To schedule
an appointment
for a mammogram,
give us a call at
229.228.3710
.
mammography
C O M I N G T O T H O M A S V I L L E
3-D MAMMOGRAMS
MAMMOGRAMS
give women
a crucial head start on finding breast
cancer early, when a tumor is still too
tiny to feel but treatment is often most
effective. Still, although they’ve saved
countless lives, these breast x-rays aren’t
perfect.
Mammograms miss about 20 percent
of all breast cancers, the National Cancer
Institute reports. They can also cause
false alarms by indicating abnormalities
that turn out not to be cancer.
As a result, women may undergo
unnecessary—and often
anxiety-producing—additional testing,
including biopsies.
A new dimension in breast x-rays
Three-dimensional mammograms, how-
ever, show real promise for overcoming
these flaws and improving accuracy
of breast cancer screening. Three-
dimensional mammography, or breast
tomosynthesis, can be performed at the
same time as a standard 2-D breast x-ray
on the same piece of equipment. Here’s
how it works:
“During a 3-D mammogram, a wom-
an’s breast is compressed, just as it is for
a typical mammogram,” said Archbold
radiologist Mary Anne Bullard Grayson,
MD. “An x-ray machine moves over the
breast, taking multiple, slice-like pictures.
Special computer software then creates
a detailed 3-D image of the breast. The
process is similar to the way a CT scanner
produces detailed images of the brain,
bone and other body parts.”
Research suggests that the combina-
tion of 3-D and 2-D mammography has
the potential to:
•
Improve the ability of doctors to accu-
rately diagnose breast cancer.
•
Find tumors that may have remained
hidden on a 2-D mammogram alone.
•
Greatly reduce the number of women
called back for false alarms.
Archbold Women’s Center is creating
a huge advantage for women in the
service area.
“We’re thrilled to announce that
women in our region will soon have
access to 3-D mammography technol-
ogy at the Archbold Women’s Center,”
said Dr. Grayson. “This revolutionary
technology allows radiologists to exam-
ine breast tissue in clearer, three-
dimensional detail and potentially detect
breast cancer earlier, when treatment is
most effective.”
The 3-D mammography technology
is expected to be operational at the
Archbold Women’s Center in 2016.
Mary Anne Bullard Grayson, MD
Radiologist
Red Hills Radiology