Mammography

What Sets Our Breast Health Services Apart

More than 40,000 women choose Breast Health Services for mammograms every year. They are getting the highest quality care from radiologists who exceed the national average for finding cancer at its earliest, more curable stage. Those are just some of the reasons we are designated a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence by the American College of Radiologyƒs Commission on Quality and Safety and the Commission on Breast Imaging. Here are the details: We use the latest, state-of-the-art digital mammography equipment operated by highly educated and certified technologists. Digital mammography uses digital images rather than film. Radiation dose is a bit lower, and the radiologist can fine-tune the image to make tiny abnormalities more visible.

We also use the R2 ImageChecker, which acts like a computer „spell check for mammograms. Images are read by the radiologist in the traditional manner. Then the images are scanned by the computer, comparing them to thousands of other images. Any patterns that may be suspicious are flagged for a closer look. Research shows the ImageChecker helps radiologists detect more early-stage cancers.

Our board-certified radiologists are experts at reading mammograms. Reading more mammograms sharpens a radiologistƒs skills. Each of our radiologists reads more than 1,200 mammograms each year, more than twice the FDA requirement of 480. Together, all of Breast Health Services radiologists read more than 40,000 mammograms each year.

Our rate for detecting cancer when it exists is 95 percent, compared with the national standard of 85 percent. Eighty percent of cancers are detected at the earliest possible stage, compared with 50 percent nationally. And more than 50 percent are found at less than one centimeter, compared with 30 percent nationally. Your chances of surviving breast cancer are greatly improved when itƒs detected early.

Our radiologists have an excellent record of not seeing cancer where it isnƒt. Mammograms are notoriously difficult to read, and itƒs not easy to spot cancer. By being accurate on both sides, we spare women unnecessary worry and biopsies. And if you need additional diagnostic services, we offer the most advanced technologies so you can feel confident in the results and your diagnosis.

Our Breast Health Services specialists are part of a team. From the technologists who operate the equipment to the radiologists who read your imaging tests, you can be certain our Breast Health Services team will be with you from start to finish, communicating with each other to make sure you get the right care for you. Theyƒre also part of the Cancer Center team where youƒll have access to oncologists, surgeons, genetics counselors and nurse specialists who are part of a collaborative cancer team.