Mar 4, 2009 10:00 pm US/Eastern
Digital Mammography Improving Breast Cancer Exams
DALLAS (CBS) ―
Experts say mammograms are the best line of detection against
breast cancer, but now the exam has become even more high-tech.
Digital pictures offer higher resolution, helping doctors to detect
problems earlier, CBS station KTVT-TV reported.
"What we used to use in mammography was called analog, and it was kind of like an old camera," explained Dr. David Watts from Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital.
According to Watts, analog mammograms are often grainy and grey. Digital mammography is helping to clear things up.
"Basically with the digital mammography, you have better contrast resolution than you had with the old film screen," said Watts.
The mammogram process is the same. Patients won't notice a difference except the images are now more detailed, he said.
Watts can manipulate the images, zoom in to certain areas and adjust the contrast, which all let him get a better look at what's inside the tissue.
"In younger women that are less than 50 or are pre-menopausal or have dense breast tissue, digital mammography has proven to be better at detecting breast cancer," he said.
Janis Dukes says she always remembers to do a yearly mammogram. Her 2007 exam changed her life.
I was surprised to receive a call after my screening mammogram that there was something suspicious," Dukes said.
Dukes' doctors found a 'spot', but because of the quality of the image, they weren't sure if it was something serious.
Digital mammography detected Dukes' cancer, and last week she celebrated her one-year anniversary of being cancer free. Dukes is confident that the early detection saved her life.
"It was a team effort, but it all started with a digital mammogram finding it early, and that made all the difference," she said.
Watts, who pointed out that any mammogram, is better than none at all, stresses that an analog mammogram is still a good option if digital is not available.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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