Picture even
better imaging
Your A–Z summer
safety guide
Potlatch
spotlight
MAMMOGRAMS
give
women a crucial head start on
finding breast cancer early, when
a tumor is still too tiny to feel and
treatment is often most effective.
Still, although they’ve saved
countless lives, these mammograms
aren’t perfect.
Traditional 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
Leading the way to wellness since 1897
C
onnections
SUMMER 2014
3 D M A M M O G R A M S
A new view for breast
cancer at Gritman
not to be cancer. As a result, women
may undergo unnecessary additional
testing, including biopsies.
A new dimension
A new type of mammogram
shows real promise for overcom-
ing these flaws and improving the
accuracy of breast cancer screening.
It’s called three-dimensional, or 3-D,
mammography. (Breast tomosyn-
thesis is another name for it.) Here’s
how it works:
During a 3-D mammogram, a
woman’s breast is compressed, just
as it is for a typical mammogram. A
tomosynthesis machine moves over
the breast, taking multiple angled
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.)
According to a recent study in
e Journal of the American Medical
Association
, 3-D mammography has
the potential to:
w
Improve the ability of doctors to
accurately diagnose breast cancer.
w
Find tumors thatmay have remained
hidden on a traditional 2-D mammo-
gram alone.
w
Greatly reduce the number of
women called back for false alarms.
Get tested
The American Cancer Society urges
most women to have yearly mammo-
grams starting at age 40. Have yours
done at the GritmanWomen’s Imag-
ing Center. We offer the most com-
plete 3-Dmammograms available,
and you don’t need a referral. Call
208-882-5377
to schedule an
appointment.
Need help paying? Check out
the Bosom Buddies program at
.
