SOUTHBRIDGE, Mass. – Harrington HealthCare is now offering 3-D mammograms at its main hospital campus in Southbridge.
3-D Mammography uses advanced breast tomosynthesis technology, clinically proven to significantly improve the detection of invasive breast cancers, while simultaneously reducing the need to return for additional testing.
“We are pleased to offer 3-D mammograms to women in our community,” said Nellie Dingui, mammography supervisor at Harrington. “The advanced technology is quite remarkable and will allow us to capture breast images in higher detail and increase invasive cancer detection.”
In conventional 2-D mammography, overlapping tissue is the leading reason why small breast cancers may be missed and normal tissue may appear abnormal, leading to unnecessary callbacks. A 3-D exam includes a three-dimensional method of imaging that can greatly reduce the tissue overlap effect, Dingui said.
During the tomosynthesis-dimensional portion of the exam, an X-ray arm sweeps in a slight arc over the breast, taking multiple images. A computer then converts the images into a stack of thin layers, allowing the radiologist to review the breast tissue one layer at a time. A 3-D exam requires no additional compression and takes just a few seconds longer than a conventional 2-D breast cancer screening exam.
2-D mammography is still considered a high standard of testing, however, and will continue to be available in Charlton and Webster.
As with all adult imaging studies taken at any of Harrington’s locations, mammogram results are read and interpreted by Harvard Medical Faculty trained radiologists at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC). Harrington has BIDMC radiologists who specialize exclusively in breast imaging.
To schedule your annual exam, call Central Scheduling at 508-765-3020. If you have questions about annual mammograms and whether you should schedule an exam, please talk to your primary care physician.
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