The New Digital Mammogram ... Is it Right for You?
The most recent innovation in mammography is digital mammography. But what is it, and is it right for you? Digital mammography is very similar to the older style of imaging. The breast is still placed on a small table and compression is still used to provide better detail of the structures within it. The difference comes after the image is taken.
Digital mammography, unlike the film version, places the image on a computer, where it can be enhanced after the image is taken. Film imaging cannot be changed once it is placed on the hard copy. The digital image appears on a computer screen within the exam room, sometimes in as little as nine seconds, after it is taken. The patient usually experiences much shorter exam times and can get in and out much faster.
The digital image is sent to a computer workstation where a radiologist reads the results. This workstation allows the radiologist to manipulate it in many helpful ways for better visibility and easier diagnosis, including the ability to magnify, shrink, darken, lighten, zoom, rotate or flip the image. This new computer-enhanced capability is important because breasts that are comprised of dense tissue can be very difficult to evaluate. Digital mammography is stored electronically and can be re-printed as many times as needed. The digital images never fade with age and are much more easily retrieved than film images.
The National Cancer Institute recently released findings on a study to determine the difference in effectiveness of film versus digital mammograms. The Digital Mammographic Imaging Screening Trial (DMIST), which began in October 2001, enrolled 49,528 women at 33 sites. The trial found that digital mammography was much more beneficial to women who are under age 50, have dense breasts, or are pre- or perimenopausal. Twenty-eight percent more cancers were found in this category of women with digital imaging than with film imaging.
Talk to your doctor about whether a film or digital mammogram is right for you, or call the Asheville Breast Center at 828-213-XRAY.
For more information on the DMIST study, go to http://www.cancer.gov/newscenter/pressreleases/DMISTQandA.
