Digital Mammography.

Our mammography services now include the next generation in breast screening and diagnosis - the digital mammogram. This technology offers views of breast tissue that can help our physicians detect the equivalent of a grain of sand in a ball of clay.

Services available at:

• The Lacks Cancer Center at Saint Mary’s
• Saint Mary’s Southwest
• Advantage Health Physician Network, East Beltline office (September 24, 2007)

The Process. Undergoing a digital mammogram is much like receiving a traditional mammogram: our technologists position and compress each breast between two plates to stabilize them, then a specialized digital camera takes pictures from different angles. The images are then uploaded to a computer, allowing our physicians to enlarge and highlight images of the breasts.

The Benefits of Digital Mammography vs. Traditional Film Mammography. While both digital and traditional film mammography are key technologies used in the diagnosis of breast cancer, digital mammography does have certain advantages for some women over the traditional film method. For instance, it is more effective in detecting breast cancers in women under the age of 50 and in those whose breasts are made up of dense tissue. Other differences include:

• Digital Mammography takes less time.
• Digital Mammography reduces the need to “retake” images.
• Digital Mammography is uniquely capable of enhancing certain questionable areas for a more precise picture of dense breasts.
• Digital Mammography provides better visibility in regions near the skin, chest wall and in dense breast tissue that often prove to be “trouble areas.”

To schedule a Mammogram today call 1-877-LACKS-MI or 616-752-LACK(S).