Should I Have A 3D Mammogram

Women, at 40 years old, should begin having regular mammograms to help detect breast cancer as part of their health care plan. With advancements in technology, many health care providers are offering women 3-D mammograms, also known as Tomosynthesis.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A DIGITAL MAMMOGRAM AND A 3-D MAMMOGRAM?

A digital mammogram usually takes two x-rays of each breast: top to bottom and side to side. The breast is compressed between two glass plates and records the picture on a computer, hence the name digital.

A 3-D mammogram is a revolutionary technology that creates images from different angles that creates a series of 1 mm slices that can then be viewed as a three-dimensional view of the breast. These multiple images of breast tissue slices give doctors a clearer image of the breast, particularly in women with dense breast tissue.

Recent studies reveal that 3-D mammography improves both sensitivity and specificity and reduces callbacks from 9.3 percent to 6.4 percent. It also reduces the number of unnecessary benign biopsies.

Many centers throughout the United States routinely do 3-D Tomosynthesis at the time of annual mammography. Discuss this new technology with Dr. Obron and learn whether this new technique is suitable for you.