From Spotlight on Health Sept./Oct. 2008

One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in her life.

Breast cancer often has no symptoms in its earliest and most treatable stages, but can be detected in a mammogram as early as two years before it is felt in the breast. Mammography remains the standard screening tool for breast cancer detection, and new and improved imaging
techniques will benefit women, improving early detection and diagnosis.

Recently, the St. Cloud Hospital Breast Center transitioned from standard mammography to digital mammography. This new technology allows radiologists to view mammograms in a 3-D image on a computer screen, adjust the picture’s lightness or darkness and zoom in on certain areas of the breast. Technologists also can review the picture within seconds of taking the X-ray, decreasing waiting time for patients.

“This new technology increases our ability to diagnose breast cancer at an earlier stage, especially in young women and women with dense breasts,” said Jody Bolton-Smith, M.D., lead radiologist at
the Breast Center.

Results from a study of more than 42,000 women by the American College of Radiology showed that digital mammography found cancers that traditional mammography missed in dense breasts.

“Compression is still an essential part of the mammogram, but how the image is processed is very different,” said Nancy May, coordinator of operations at the Breast Center. The difference in this new technology occurs after the mammography is complete -- when the image is stored directly into a computer. Specific areas can be enlarged or enhanced for closer evaluation with the click of a mouse. A single breast image also may allow for examination of various densities in regions of
the breast where standard mammography requires additional images at different settings.

“Mammography continues to be the most important diagnostic tool for early detection of breast cancer,” May said. “Annual mammograms for women older than 40 can be lifesaving and can significantly decrease the death rate from breast cancer in a majority of women.”

Encourage the women in your life to make this crucial annual commitment. After all, early detection is everything. For more information about digital mammography or to schedule an appointment,
call (320) 229-4919.

Learn more about the Breast Center.