|
|
Advanced Imaging at Sentara: Breast-Specific Gamma Imaging
The “Next Step” after a Questionable Mammogram
The first steps in breast health care are self-exam and mammography. While mammography remains the primary method of early detection, diagnostic challenges can occur due to the complexity of the breast tissue. There are also times when additional testing is necessary.
A new imaging technique—Breast-Specific Gamma Imaging (BSGI)—can aid in diagnosis when a mammogram is inconclusive and reveal important information that can help your doctor more accurately determine if an area of concern is cancerous or not.
Breast-Specific Gamma Imaging images the metabolic activity of breast lesions using The Dilon 6800 Gamma camera. The high-resolution camera creates pictures so doctors can see cancers as small as 3 millimeters. It can detect early stage cancers, see lesions even in dense tissue, and provide multiple angle views. The result is quicker and more acute detection of breast cancer than with mammography alone.
BSGI is a valuable tool for situations where mammography cannot answer all the questions and further evaluation is needed, especially when patients have:
 Dense breast tissue
Suspicious areas on a mammogram
Lumps that can be felt but not seen with mammography or ultrasound
Post-surgical or post-therapeutic mass
Implants and breast augmentation
Been taking Hormone Replacement Therapy
Breast-Specific Gamma Imaging has been performed on more than 7,000 patients in hospitals and private imaging centers across the country. Because it is compact and portable, the Dilon 6800 often allows for same-day evaluation at the point of care.
BSGI can also help your doctor determine if biopsy is necessary. Biopsies, preventable in some cases, can be traumatic and leave scars. Some women are told to "wait and see" for months for a follow-up mammogram. These scenarios prolong the fear and anxiety of diagnosis. BSGI can prevent this anxiety in many cases by providing accurate and detailed information in a short amount of time.
Breast-Specific Gamma Imaging Location
Dorothy G. Hoefer Comprehensive Cancer Center
Sentara Port Warwick
1031 Loftis Boulevard
Newport News, VA 23606
For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call 757-594-1899.
Is BSGI right for me?
I have been told I have dense breasts.
X-rays do not penetrate dense breast tissue very well, which makes it harder for your doctor to interpret the mammogram. In addition to younger and pre-menopausal women, dense tissue often occurs in women going through hormone replacement therapy or those who have undergone radiation treatment. BSGI detects cellular changes that a mammogram may miss, regardless of breast density.
I am a breast cancer survivor.
Scar tissue trauma or radiation therapy can look suspicious on a mammogram. It can be difficult to differentiate scarring from tumors with mammography. BSGI can see hidden areas and reveal cancerous lesions.
My mammogram shows multiple areas of concern.
Calcium deposits are frequently detected in mammography. While calcifications are benign, some are suggestive of the presence of a malignancy, even with no associated lesion. In such a case, further investigation is necessary. BSGI allows doctors to evaluate the entire breast at different angles to help identify any cancerous lesions and take the appropriate steps.
I have breast implants.
Implants can complicate image interpretation even with special compression views of the breast. BSGI does not require compression of the breast and its detection of cancer is not hindered by implants
|
|