RANSON, W.Va. - Women who undergo routine mammograms at West Virginia University Hospitals-East Jefferson Memorial Hospital now have the latest screening and diagnostic technology available to them.
WVUH-East officials recently announced that Jefferson Memorial Hospital’s Womens Imaging Center is the first women’s center in the state of West Virginia and one of the few in the United States to offer 3D breast tomosynthesis (tomo) for breast cancer screening.
Jefferson Memorial Hospital’s Womens Imaging Center is equipped with a Selenia® Dimensions® digital mammography system, the latest generation of mammography equipment from Hologic.
“Our new digital mammography system allows us to look at 3-dimensional images that can show very small breast cancers,” stated Christine Vetter, MD, radiologist. “The advanced ergonomic design provides more patient comfort, and the ground-breaking 3D tomosynthesis platform is designed to deliver superior screening and diagnostic performance,” she added.
Breast tomosynthesis is a revolutionary technology that gives radiologists the ability to identify and characterize individual breast structures without the confusion of overlapping tissue. During a tomosynthesis exam, multiple, low-dose images of the breast are acquired at different angles. These images are then used to produce a series of one-millimeter thick slices that can be viewed as a 3D reconstruction of the breast.
“In addition to the 3D breast tomo feature, our digital mammography system also offers many conveniences, from very soft and slow application of breast compression for smooth positioning and increased patient tolerance, to having digital images immediately available for viewing and interpretation,” Vetter said.
There are more than 8,000 breast cancer screening sites in the U.S. Nearly 5,000 have at least one digital mammography system. Less than 100 have installed this newest generation of digital mammography equipment.
“We are proud to be the first hospital in West Virginia to offer 3D breast tomo for breast cancer screening,” said Dr. Christina Coad, chief executive officer. “Jefferson Memorial Hospital is committed to the fight against breast cancer. By offering women the latest technology in mammography, we hope to increase the number of area women who will be routinely screened,” she added.
Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among women, exceeded only by lung cancer. Statistics indicate that one in eight women will develop breast cancer sometime in her lifetime. The stage at which breast cancer is detected influences a woman’s chance of survival. If detected early, the five-year survival rate is 97 percent.
For more information on Jefferson Memorial Hospital’s ACR accredited digital mammography service, call the Womens Imaging Center at 304.728.1648 or visit www.wvuh-east.org.