This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

Greenwich Hospital completes conversion to 3-D mammography

July 2, 2014 (Greenwich, CT) – Greenwich Hospital has converted all its mammography equipment to 3-D units, which offer improved cancer detection.

 

Digital 3-D mammography, also known as digital breast tomosynthesis, is offered at theBreast Center at the Smilow Cancer Hospital Greenwich Campus, as well as at Greenwich Hospital’s Diagnostic Imaging Center at 2015 W. Main Street in Stamford.

Find out what's happening in Pelhamwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

 

Greenwich Hospital Breast Center is a national leader in early breast cancer detection, with patient survival rates of 99 percent, 96.1 percent and 89.6 percent among Stages 0, I and II patients respectively – rates which surpass national averages.

Find out what's happening in Pelhamwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

 

Digital 3-D mammography takes conventional 2-D images along with 15 images in an arc, which are then reconstructed into one mm slices. The radiologist can then scroll through the images one “slice” at a time, in addition to looking at the conventional 2-D images.

 

“With the conversion to 3-D mammography, the hospital’s Breast Center continues to stay at the forefront of diagnostic technology,” said Barbara Ward, MD, breast surgeon and medical director of the Center. “Always striving to offer the newest and most effective screening methods continues to benefit our patients – a fact evidenced by the Center’s high early detection rates.”

 

A study published recently in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that conventional digital mammography when combined with 3-D tomosynthesis technology can lead to an increase in cancer detection by as much as 33 percent. The total radiation dose with breast tomosynthesis is slightly higher than with 2-D alone, but due to advances in digital technology, it is well below federal safety standards. The study also noted a 10-20 percent reduction in the need to recall patients for further testing, an improvement that decreases patient anxiety and reduces healthcare costs.

 

The 3-D screenings are more expensive and the additional cost is not always covered by health insurance. At this time, Greenwich Hospital is not charging patients any additional fee for the service.

###

Greenwich Hospital is a member of Yale New Haven Health System (YNHHS). Greenwich is a 206-bed (includes 32 isolettes) community hospital serving lower Fairfield County, Connecticut and Westchester County, New York. It is a major academic affiliate of Yale School of Medicine. Since opening in 1903, Greenwich Hospital has evolved into a progressive medical center and teaching institution representing all medical specialties and offering a wide range of medical, surgical, diagnostic and wellness programs. Greenwich Hospital is recognized throughout the healthcare industry as a leader in service and patient satisfaction excellence. www.greenwichhospital.org

 

Contact: Irene Villaverde

Irene.villaverde@greenwichhospital.org

(203) 863-3463

(203) 500-9505 (cell)

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?