Digital Mammography

Without question, the most effective tool in fighting the war against breast cancer is early detection through mammography. At OSF St. Mary Medical Center, we believe the best way we can help to achieve that goal is by investing in the latest, most effective technology available today...digital mammography. Digitally enhanced breast images have outstanding clarity and contrast, leading to quicker viewing and diagnosis, and improved patient care quality.

Advantages of Digital Mammography

• Digital mammography is faster
• There are no films to develop
• Improved accuracy in finding cancers in women under age 50 and in women with dense breast tissue
• Images are digital, which allows for zooming and panning the image
• Digital images can be transmitted to referring clinicians or other practitioners
• Computer-assisted detection software acts as a "second set of eyes" for the radiologist

Breast cancer will affect an average of one in eight women sometime in their lifetime. It is the second most common cause of cancer related deaths in women. The stage at which breast cancer is detected influences a woman's survival. If detected early, the five-year survival rate is 97%. Digital mammography is the latest technology available to help in the fight against breast cancer.

What to Expect

A mammogram is a special x-ray of the breast tissue. The technologist will explain the procedure before starting.

From a patient's perception, a digital mammogram is like traditional mammography. Both use x-ray and compression to generate images of the breast. However, instead of using film to capture and record the image, a digital mammogram uses a special detector to capture and convert x-ray energy into a digital image. The resulting digital images are immediately available to the radiologist for diagnosis.

Schedule

Digital mammography is done 5 days a week and one Saturday a month at the new Outpatient Medical Imaging Department, located in front of the hospital.