3D mammography offered at St. Joseph Medical Center
Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Polson will offer a basket drawing for patients having mammograms in October as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
It’s been about a little more than a year since 3D mammography came to Providence St. Joseph.
3D mammography has the ability to detect breast cancers 15 months earlier than 2D mammography and reduces unnecessary callbacks by up to 40 percent. In addition, the machine can find over 40 percent more invasive cancers than conventional mammography.
The innovative equipment allow St. Joe’s to take care of patients in their own community while reducing stress and costs for the patient and families.
Local donations and a grant from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust brought the technology to the hospital in September 2018.
Community members donated $207,000 while a $146,000 grant from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust of Vancouver, Washington, completed the funding.
“The outpouring of generosity this community has offered in support of the 3D Mammography System is truly humbling. So many showed their investment in health care excellence, and it’s truly a gift to the entire region,” said Fran Albrecht, executive director of Providence Montana Health Foundation. “The Foundation is proud to have led fundraising efforts to secure critical mammography equipment that will save lives here in the Flathead and Mission Valleys”.
Providence Montana Health Foundation is a nonprofit supporting the Mission of Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Polson, Providence St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula and more than 40 clinics and programs throughout Montana.
Here are some highlights of the Genius 3D Mammography Exam:
- The Genius 3D Mammography exam results are more accurate than 2D alone. Genius™ exams are more accurate than conventional 2D mammograms, detecting 20-65% more invasive breast cancers.
- The Genius™ exam also provides greater peace of mind by reducing the chance of unnecessary callbacks. In fact, the Genius exam reduces callbacks by up to 40% compared to 2D alone.
The Genius Exam and Breast Density
- Dense breast tissue can make it difficult for doctors to detect breast cancer during annual screenings, which is concerning since women with dense breasts are more likely to develop breast cancer.
- Studies show that the Genius 3D Mammography exam has greater accuracy than 2D mammography for women across a variety of ages and breast densities. It is the only mammogram that is FDA approved as superior for women with dense breasts compared to 2D alone.1,2
- This is good news for patients, as nearly fifty percent of women between the ages of 40 and 74 have dense breasts.8,9
How a 3D Mammogram Works
- Women will see little difference between a conventional 2D mammogram and a 3D mammogram. The exam takes about the same amount of time – a 3.7 second scan time - and the positioning is the same. The real difference is in the information available to the doctor.
- A good analogy for 3D Mammography is like thinking of the pages in a book. If you look down at the cover you cannot see all of the pages – but when you open it up, you can go through the entire book page-by-page to see everything between the covers.