Melissa Ebbinghouse, Lead Mammography Tech
With Breast Cancer Awareness Month, now is the time to schedule your mammogram. Breast cancer screening in southwest Wisconsin took a giant leap forward with the addition of revolutionary 3D digital mammography technology at Southwest Health. The 3D breast imaging system produces three-dimensional views of breast tissue. It helps doctors accurately identify and classify breast tissue structures to diagnose breast cancer better and save lives.
3D Mammography is an advanced type of mammogram that can offer better cancer detection, fewer callbacks, and greater peace of mind. 3D technology has been shown to detect small breast cancers up to 15 months earlier than traditional technology. With 1 in 8 women being diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, early detection is essential.
The benefits of 3D mammography offer a marked improvement over traditional mammography in several ways.
- Earlier detection of small breast cancers that may be hidden during digital mammography
- Greater accuracy in pinpointing the size, shape, and location of abnormalities
- Fewer unnecessary biopsies or additional tests
- Greater likelihood of detecting multiple breast tumors, which occur in 15% of breast cancer patients
- Clearer images of dense breast tissue
“Imagine you’re looking at a closed book. You can’t read the words inside. That’s what traditional mammography shows us. Now imagine you can open to book, flip the pages, and zero in on the words on every page. That’s the difference that 3D Digital mammography gives us,” says JoAnn Geissbuhler, Director of Radiology at Southwest Health.
This year to spread awareness for breast cancer, schedule your mammogram and tell your friends and family to schedule one as well. If someone needs help paying for the cost of the exam, Southwest Health partners with the Wisconsin Well Woman Program, a statewide program that offers mammograms at no cost to individuals who meet a few guidelines. Do you need help getting a mammogram? For more information, call (608) 847-9455 or toll-free 1-866-735-9616 or visit their website at co.juneau.wi.gov/wi-well-woman.
