Women wanting the highest quality images from their mammograms can now get them at the SIH mammography centers in Carbondale and Herrin.
Digital mammography is the latest technology in the fight against breast cancer.This front line technology uses a powerful computer to create superior, high quality images of the breast, thus increasing the physician’s ability to detect cancer and other abnormalities.
Recent studies have proven digital mammography to be better for detecting lesions in the breast, especially for women with dense breast tissue, women who are under 50, and both pre-menopausal and perimenopausal women.
Why? Digital mammography is clearer than traditional film and it allows the radiologist to magnify specific areas of the image and adjust the contrast so abnormalities are easier to see. This results in earlier diagnoses and lesions are often caught when they are still confined to the breast and not spreading to the lymph nodes or other parts of the body.
It also means fewer “false positives,” which may cause a woman anxiety as she waits for further tests or a biopsy to determine if a suspicious area is, in fact, a cancer. There are many other practical advantages to digital mammography, including the fact that it takes less than half the time of a traditional film study.
Though the technology is new, the process for getting a mammogram has not really changed. The breast still needs to be positioned and carefully compressed to take the image.
Both use the R2 ImageChecker to further examine each breast image. The ImageChecker is a computer aided diagnostic tool that acts as a “spellchecker.” It double checks each image for any suspicious areas and identifies them so the radiologist can review further.
The centers also use the AMICAS digital image archiving system, a networked system to accurately store and retrieve digital images. With this system, radiologists at multiple locations may view and interpret images simultaneously.
For more information or to schedule a mammogram, call the Breast Center at 618-457-2281 or the Women’s Diagnostic Center at 618-942-2171, ext. 35398.