Doctors catching cancer earlier with digital mammography

by Cindy Ward (ward@wsbt.com)

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Digital mammography has allowed doctors to see smaller things and potentially catch cancer earlier, though there are more false positives

Digital mammography has allowed doctors to see smaller things and potentially catch cancer earlier, though there are more false positives. (WSBT photo)

By Beth Boehne

Story Created: Jun 23, 2008 at 12:25 PM EST

Story Updated: Jun 23, 2008 at 4:09 PM EST

Breast self-exams can save lives by detecting cancer earlier. If you go in for regular mammograms, there is good news on that front, too. Mammographies are now done digitally on a computer; the old days of film are gone.

"We used to have just one image that we could look at. We had to look at it with a special light. We had to magnify it with a magnifying glass,” explained Radiologist Dr. Linda Tuthill. “Now we can actually see the image on a computer. It's already magnified for us about four times."

Radiologists can also change the contrast. Seeing smaller things and catching cancer earlier has improved dramatically with digital mammography.

There is one downside — there are more false positives with digital.

"We're seeing things that we just we never saw before, bringing more women back, doing extra pictures, and almost all the time there's nothing there,” Tuthill said.

So Dr. Tuthill says definitely do not panic if you are called back for more pictures.

And she says the problem with false positives could be cleared up with the next generation of digital mammography — three-dimensional mammographies. Doctors will be able to look at different layers of breast tissue and that could cut the recall rate in half.

Those 3-D machines will be available next year.

But we are our own best line of defense. That's why WSBT News has teamed up with Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center to invite you to become part of our Pink Pack.

Here's how it works:

You pick a friend to be your Pink Pack Pal. Then you request a Pink Pack.

You'll get a breast self-exam guide, a pen and a kitchen magnet — one for you and one for your Pink Pack Pal. We'll remind you on the 22nd of every month to call your Pink Pal and remind her to do her breast self-exam. And remember to do yours the same day. Early detection saves lives.

Become a member of the Pink Pack right away — it could save a life.

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