One of the biggest benefits of getting your screening mammogram is early detection. Screening mammograms can detect breast cancer in its early stages, allowing your provider to start treatment before the disease spreads. Studies show that screening mammograms help to reduce the number of deaths from breast cancer among women between the ages of 40 to 75, and especially for the women over the age of 50.
What is a mammogram?
A mammogram is an x-ray picture of the breast tissue. Mammograms are most often used to check for breast cancer in women who show no signs or symptoms of the disease. This is why it is so important for women to get their regularly scheduled mammograms when they reach the appropriate age. Mammograms are meant to detect breast cancer before it has spread and developed enough to show signs and symptoms.
Signs and symptoms of breast cancer
While screening mammograms are meant to detect breast cancer prior to showing signs or symptoms, it is possible to have warning signs of breast cancer. Symptoms of breast cancer can include:
- New lump in the breast or underarm
- Swelling and thickening in parts of the breast
- Irritation or the creation of dimples in the breast skin
- Red and flaky skin in the nipple or breast area
- Pain in the nipple area
- Nipple discharge other than breast milk, including blood
- Changes in size and shape of the breast
While these are symptoms of breast cancer, they are also symptoms that can be associated with other conditions. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, or a combination of them, you should contact your doctor to schedule a screening mammogram.
What is a 3D mammogram?
3D mammography (also known as breast tomosynthesis) is clinically proven to significantly increase the detection of breast cancers, while simultaneously decreasing the number of women asked to return for additional testing. A 3D mammogram allows doctors to examine your breast tissue layer by layer. Instead of viewing a flat image as you would with conventional 2D mammography, fine details are more visible and no longer hidden by the tissue above or below when using 3D technology. When you need a mammogram, accuracy and peace of mind are important. 3D mammograms provide better, earlier breast detection. It finds 20-65% more invasive breast cancers than 2D mammography alone.
Why you need a mammogram
Again, early detection is one of the biggest benefits to getting a screening mammogram. If you are unsure of whether or not you should get a mammogram when you have reached the appropriate age, read these breast cancer statistics to learn more on the importance of breast cancer detection.
- Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in the U.S.
- Black women die from breast cancer at a higher rate than white women
- 1 in 8 women will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of a lifetime
- The most significant risk factors for breast cancer are being a woman and aging
- Most breast cancer cases were found in women with no symptoms
Breast care at Logansport Memorial Hospital
Logansport Memorial Hospital is proud to be offering the latest advancements in breast imaging technology, The Genius 3D Mammography exam on the Hologic 3D Mammography system.
In addition to 3D mammography, LMH is also please to offer stereotactic 3D-guided breast biopsy using the Hologic Affirm Prone Breast Biopsy System. A 3D-guided breast biopsy is a minimally invasive procedure using 3D mammography and x-ray imaging to gather tissue samples from a breast abnormality. With this new biopsy technology from Hologic, there are several key advantages for the patient over having a standard x-ray procedure, including faster targeting and sampling of the lesion and fewer x-ray exposures. Patients recline comfortably in the prone position (lying face down), removed from the field of view of the biopsy instruments.
Logansport Memorial Hospital is proud to be on of the few hospitals in the state to offer this advanced technology for 3D-guided breast biopsy, allowing us to better serve north-central Indiana.
Call to schedule your 3D mammogram: (574) 753-1488
