[ad_1]
New technology acquired by Freeman Hospital provides women with a more comfortable experience when they have mammograms.
Dr. Jane Seto, a radiologist who is an expert on 3D imaging, said the hospital recently acquired new equipment and software that allows patients to have more control over the test.
A new mammography system, Senographe Pristina Dueta systems launched by GE Healthcare, allows the technologists to hand the patient a remote control that puts patients in control of their own breast compression level during the scan.
The doctor said the system helps women have less anxiety or fear of the mammogram process because they can control the level themselves.
“We are all-campus 3D mammography now. We have three at the main hospital and one at Neosho. The 3D is newer technology that is really good for dense breasts and early detection of cancer and smaller cancers,” Seto said.
“A lot of women are scared of getting a mammogram because they don’t want to be hurt, so they are very nervous coming in. We have this feature, it’s called Dueta, with a remote control so the women can decide how much pressure they can tolerate to their breasts.”
She said it is surprising that a lot of times patients will apply more pressure than if a tech performed that function.
“When other people are applying the pressure, patients are more cautious and guarded so they cannot tolerate a lot of pressure. If they have their own control, they do more compression, which means better quality images and better cancer detection,” Seto said.
That is good, the doctor explained, because smaller cancers can be detected more easily if the breast is more fully compressed for the scan.
“It’s a great technology. We love it and patients love it,” she said.
Some patients have told the health professionals that they have to talk themselves into going forward with the test because of the pain.
“But now with the Dueta, they say, ‘Well, I don’t need the mental prep now because I know how much pressure I’m going to take.’ It is such an improvement in patient care,” she said.
The other part of the equipment, the Pristina, “is a top-notch line of their technology too. They have the (high) resolution for cancer detection and have CAD, which is kind of an AI technology, to analyze the images. We have everything, the whole package. So we definitely are confident that we are detecting cancer as early as possible and as small as possible. That means a better prognosis for our patient,” the doctor said.
“We are basically providing the best care possible because a lot of the radiology technology is based on the machine. The better the machine you have for either ultrasound or mammogram, the better visualization you have” for detection, she said.
Seto encourages women who have not had a mammogram before or have not had one yearly during the recommended ages to call and make an appointment or ask their doctor to refer them for a test at Freeman.
She said some women do not come in for a mammogram until they have felt a lump in their breast, which often means the cancer is more advanced than if it had been detected earlier. The new equipment allows technicians and doctors to see a spot of cancer as small as 4 to 5 millimeters. It is considered that anything below 2 centimeters is early detection, which means it may not have spread yet or so spread so little that it can still be arrested.
A speck of cancer as small as 4 to 5 millimeters could barely be seen by the eye, Seto said.
Mammogram screenings are recommended for women ages 52 to 70 and for those whose mother or other close relative such as a sister have had breast cancer. In those cases, the recommendation is to start screenings 10 years before the age that the relative was when their cancer was found, according to the doctor.
It also is advisable for young women to do self-exams because breast cancer can occur in teenagers and young women, though that is rare. Also rare is breast cancer in men, although it does happen.
The Breast Cancer Foundation of the Ozarks is an organization that provides financial services and other assistance to women experiencing breast cancer, and that includes free screenings twice a year for those who are not insured or are underinsured, Seto said. Contact that organization at 417-434-2200 or 417-862-3838.
To get information or ask about a mammogram appointment, contact the Wes and Jan Houser Freeman Women’s Pavilion at 417-347-7777.
[ad_2]
Source link