The procedure itself is very similar to traditional screening mammography. The technologist will position you, and compress each breast with the paddles.
With 3D technology, however, there is one difference. We ask you to hold your breath for four seconds for each image. For some patients, that’s new.
It’s to make sure we get stable pictures. Any motion will blur out any calcifications or masses. When the image is clear as a bell, we see very detailed images. With 3D mammography, each image will take a few seconds longer – as we’re obtaining many more images with this technology – all to your benefit.
You see, the breast is very complex, with milk ducts, fat, blood vessels and ligaments. All these structures overlap each other – so it can be difficult to see tumors, or mistake a normal tissue for a tumor. That’s why we had those call-backs, with traditional mammography.
With 3D mammography, the technology involves high-powered computing to convert digital breast images into a series of very thin layers – sometimes called “slices” – to create a three-dimensional mammogram. It’s similar to seeing the pages in a book. This series of images provide us with much more detail, compared to traditional two-dimensional mammography.
That’s the biggest advantage over traditional mammography – the ability to see all the masses, large and small, in the breast. This is true in women with dense breasts, but also those with fatty breasts. We find more cancers in all types of breasts.
After your mammogram the technologist will view the images to make sure they show everything the radiologist needs to see.
With 3D mammography, the number of “repeats” and “call-backs” is much lower — from 20 to 40 percent less. For patients, that means far less anxiety while they wait. Insurance companies like that, because it cuts back on extra fees.
This results in patients getting diagnosed earlier, so they have a very good chance of successful treatment. The use of 3D mammography has increased cancer detection rates by 40 percent. That’s astounding!
Is it time for your annual mammogram? Make your appointment at Nebraska Medicine by calling 800-922-0000.