Indiana University Health Frankfort Hospital is now offering breast tomosynthesis, also known as 3D mammography.
The new equipment installed at IU Health Frankfort Hospital, works much like traditional mammography. During the 3D portion of the exam, an X-ray arm sweeps over the breast, taking multiple images in seconds. This is especially good for women with dense breast tissue because the dense tissue is difficult to see through on standard 2D imaging. The 3D imaging allows the radiologist to scroll through that tissue in very thin layers, like looking at each page of a book instead of just the front cover.
“Tomosynthesis gives us the ability to see masses, particularly in dense breast tissue, that we might have difficulty detecting with traditional mammography. Because it reduces the overlap of tissue, most investigators have found that it leads to fewer callbacks and therefore less anxiety for women,” explains Phyllis Martin-Simmerman, MD, a specialist in breast imaging for IU Health Arnett Physicians Radiology.
“We are excited to bring the gold standard of 3D mammography to our community,” stated Abby Colby, RT (R)(M) with IU Health Frankfort Hospital. “This technology will help better serve our patients by giving us even greater detail on our patient’s mammogram which could lead to earlier diagnosis and saving more lives. We believe the Frankfort community deserves the best quality of care and this upgrade will help us provide that.”
An additional 3D mammography machine has been installed at the IU Health Arnett Medical Office Building in West Lafayette. Now all women throughout the West Central Region will receive a 3D mammography scan as a part of their standard of care. The West Central Region includes IU Health Arnett, IU Health Frankfort and IU Health White Memorial.
The National Breast Cancer Foundation reports that one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. Starting at age 40, women should discuss with their primary care provider about scheduling a mammogram. High-risk women may need earlier screening. If breast cancer is detected early, a patient’s five-year survival rate is 98 percent. If you would like to schedule a mammogram or have questions about this important breast health procedure, please call IU Health Frankfort Hospital at, 765.659.1110 or visit iuhealth.org/mammo