This content was provided by Marita Dwight-Smith, director of Francine’s Friends Mobile Mammography and Parkview Health Mammography Quality, Parkview Cancer Institute.
At Parkview Cancer Institute, we recognize that imaging is not a one-size-fits-all facet of diagnosis and treatment. That’s why we’ve invested in advanced technology and developed an approach to tailor care plans to the patient, rather than adhering to a standard process. We select screening tools based on factors such as a high risk assessment, personal health history, a close familial instance of breast cancer (for example, both a mom and a sister) or a history of radiation to the chest area.
In this post, we’ll take a closer look at the screening options available for Parkview Cancer Institute patients.
3D TOMO
A fairly new technology, 3D mammography allows the radiologist to examine breast tissue one layer at a time. This method has been proven to significantly reduce callbacks and finds cancer earlier than 2D alone.
Contrast-enhanced mammography
Parkview Cancer Institute was the first care facility in the state to offer contrast-enhanced mammography. This screening method is typically used when mammography and ultrasound are not conclusive.
With contrast-enhanced mammography, a technologist injects radiology contrast into the patient’s arm to obtain mammogram images in a timed sequence. Membranes in malignant vessels make tissues more permeable to intravenous contrast material, so the tumor gets enhanced and is easier to see.
This screening tool is useful in catching cancers like lobular cancer, the second most common form of breast cancer, found in the lobes of the breast, and other cancers that are difficult to diagnose. It’s a great complement to a standard mammogram.
3 Minute Breast MRI
The biggest benefit to patients with this screening tool is efficiency. A 3 Minute MRI reduces the patient’s time in the MRI scanner, which makes the test more tolerable for some. It’s a great tool in addition to a standard mammogram and is growing in popularity.
To learn more, talk to your physician about which screening option is best for your personal history and symptoms.
