October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and pink ribbons are making a reappearance everywhere. Of course, everyone is aware of breast cancer, but not everyone understands the recurring push to place it at the forefront. The annual mission is to encourage women to engage in routine breast cancer screening, because, when caught early, breast cancer is highly treatable and survivable.
According to the American Cancer Society, the five-year survival rate for breast cancer is as follows:
Localized invasive cancer: 99%
Regional: 86%
Distant: 29%
This data, from 2017, doesn’t include all forms of breast cancer, but demonstrates something obvious and crucially important: the sooner breast cancer is found, the more likely it is to be treated successfully.
FDA-approved breast tomosynthesis, also called 3D mammography, is a huge leap forward in both early breast cancer discovery and a reduction in stressful false positive results.
How 3D Mammography Works
Standard mammography typically relies on two x-ray film images, one taken from the top to bottom angle, the second taken from side to side. Breast tomosynthesis captures multiple digital images from many different angles, which are sent to a computer to create a 3D-quality composite, for clearer, more thorough details of breast tissue. This is especially helpful for women with dense breast tissue, which can show up white in standard breast imaging, making it hard to differentiate from cancer.
Being able to utilize many images instead of only a few enables your RAO radiologist to scrutinize tiny abnormalities, promoting the earliest possible discovery of localized cancer and the ability to differentiate healthy tissue from cancer. 3D mammography sees through dense and overlapping breast tissue, uncovering hidden lesions and reducing image artifacts that could lead to unnecessary repeat or follow-up testing (including biopsy), and related undue stress and anxiety.
More than 100 clinical trials show that low-radiation digital breast tomosynthesis is the hands-down gold standard for breast cancer screening, so there is no reason to settle for inferior technology or accuracy.
When to Get a Mammogram
When possible, it’s important to get what’s called a baseline mammogram, so your radiologist and general healthcare provider have a record of your healthy breast tissue. That way, future mammography images can be compared side-by-side and any changes in breast tissue easily spotted.
For women without elevated risk factors, such as a positive BRCA test, a strong family history of breast disease, or a personal history of chest radiation, routine screening should happen as follows:
Get a baseline screening at age 40
Begin annual screenings at age 40
Talk to your healthcare provider about starting your annual screenings earlier if you are at higher risk for breast cancer.
Why Choose RAO for 3D Mammography?
RAO’s Women’s Imaging Center leads the region in breast imaging services, and is overseen by center Medical Director, Dr. Amanda Aulls. RAO offers leading-edge digital breast tomosynthesis screening without a doctor’s referral, so you can set up an appointment to suit your schedule. When additional testing is needed, RAO also offers breast MRI, breast ultrasound, image-guided biopsy, and other advanced imaging technologies, which are read in-house by our Board-certified radiologists who subspecialize in breast imaging for outstanding accuracy, speed and peace of mind.
If it has been a year or more since your last mammogram, don’t wait. RAO makes scheduling easy, convenient and designed to get you back to your day as quickly as possible.
