October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Get Peace of Mind with 3D Mammography.

This post is brought to you by iColor Studio.  All opinions are 100% my own.

As you probably know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and we’d like to take this opportunity to talk about early detection and screening.  I know, nobody really likes to talk about mammograms.  They’re not exactly anyone’s idea of a fun day out, and they remind us of scary things we may someday face.

But they’re so important.   And with new 3D mammography technology (also known as tomosynthesis), there are even more reasons to get them.

Let’s talk about a few common concerns about mammography, as misinformation and misunderstanding can be deterrents to life-saving exams.

For example, some women have been afraid that the radiation involved in a mammogram could end up being harmful rather than helpful.  But research shows that we tend to overestimate the amount of radiation.  Additionally, the radiation dose used in digital mammography is significantly lower than that of conventional film mammography–22% lower! (Statistics taken from:  http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-01/acor-dmd011910.php)

Another common concern is the fear of false positives and being called back for more tests.  With 3D mammography, you get a more precise and sensitive test, and the risk of call-backs is reduced up to 15%.  Tomosynthesis can also find significantly more cancers than traditional mammography.

If you are in the New Jersey area, you may be interested to know that South Jersey Radiology Associates (SJRA) is the first site in the region to offer 3D mammography.  Not only that, but SJRA Women’s Centers have been designated as Breast Imaging Centers of Excellence by the American College of Radiology.  There are multiple locations throughout New Jersey, and you can find them all at their website.  You can also learn more about SJRA and 3D digital tomosynthesis mammography here.

There is still time left in October.  If you’re due for a mammogram and you haven’t made an appointment, maybe now is the time to consider it?  And don’t forget to remind all the wonderful women in your life that mammograms are an important part of early detection.   We want to make sure that every mother, daughter, grandmother, sister, aunt, niece, and wife know exactly how much they’re loved and that that their health is of the utmost importance.  Please join us this Breast Cancer Awareness Month in sharing this information.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-01/acor-dmd011910.php