Agnesian HealthCare To Offer 3D Mammograms

Agnesian HealthCare will begin offering 3D mammograms – the latest in breast cancer screening technology – at St. Agnes Hospital starting March 15, 2016.

3D mammography (tomosynthesis) is clinically proven to significantly increase the detection of breast cancers, while simultaneously decreasing the number of women asked to return for additional testing.

“Early detection may give a woman the best chance to overcome breast cancer,” according to Tamra Knutson, MD, a radiologist with Radiology Associates of the Fox Valley that serves St. Agnes Hospital. “Successful treatment and survival rates for breast cancer patients are dramatically improved by early detection. Until now, the best way to accomplish that has been with digital mammography.”

The limitation of digital mammography is that it creates a 2-dimensional picture of the breast, which is 3-dimentional.

Glandular breast tissue that is located at different heights within the breast overlaps on 2D mammograms. This overlapping tissue can hide breast cancers or may make normal tissue appear abnormal, leading to additional imaging.

3D mammography is an advanced technology in the fight against breast cancer that allows physicians to examine breast tissue one layer at a time. The imaging system uses high-powered computing to convert digital breast images into a stack of thin layers or “slices,” minimizing the negative effects of overlapping breast tissue and improving cancer detection.

3D mammography has an important role for both screening mammograms and diagnostic mammograms. 

“We are excited to be offering this latest, more effective imaging tool for breast cancer screening,” Dr. Knutson says. “We are committed to helping women through early cancer detection, and 3D mammograms will help us achieve this goal.”

To learn more, call (920) 926-5594.