/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/larazon/JRLJEHIJBFF6XAGCJIIJ2VZM5Q.jpg "All the advantages of 3D mammography: Remember, it saves lives!")
The breast cancer It is the most frequent tumor in Western women, and the one that produces the highest number of deaths in women in our country, according to the Spanish Society of Gynecology and Obstetrics (SEGO). In fact, according to data from the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC), in Spain around 33,307 new breast cancers are diagnosed per year.
However, according to the SEGO, the number of diagnosed cases is continuously increasing, while deaths from this cause remain stable in recent years, mainly thanks to the early detection programs, led by mammograms, as well as advances in both medical and surgical treatment.
“Mammography is a test that is recommended to be performed from the age of 40 in patients without risk factors or family history”, explains the specialist in radiodiagnosis at the Hospital Quirónsalud Marbella, Dr. David Blanco.
Specifically, the SEGO defines it as the diagnostic technique used as an examination to detect breast cancer early: “It can be used in women who do not have any breast symptoms, as a means of screening for breast cancer or in women who have symptoms such as pain, lumps, or discharge from the nipple to detect and diagnose breast diseases. X-rays are used in a similar way to conventional radiographs ”.
This scientific society specifies that periodic mammographic controls in women without a specific risk for breast cancer usually begin at the age in which this pathology is most frequent, that is, from 45-50 years, and is maintained until advanced ages. “Various investigations have shown that performing regular mammograms between the ages of 45 and 70 reduces overall mortality from breast cancer”, Adds the SEGO.
For mammography, two images are usually taken, from top to bottom and from the side, a process that will be repeated in both breasts. “Initial mammographic images are not always sufficient to determine with certainty the existence of a disease. The exam may need to be completed with additional tests, such as ultrasound. Besides, factors such as age or the use of hormones can modify the appearance of breast imagess “, adds SEGO.
For this reason, little by little, hospitals are making use of the most innovative devices for the detection of breast cancer, and it has been introduced in some Spanish centers, such as Quirónsalud Marbella, a 3D mammography machine.
“The main advantage this mammography offers is its high efficiency in the detection of breast cancer. It greatly increases the chances of early invasive and non-invasive cancer detection. Equally, the detection of suspicious microcalcifications is more effective, it is calculated that it is 89% more accurate compared to conventional mammography”, Emphasizes Dr. David Blanco.
In turn, it highlights that 3D mammography provides a high-resolution three-dimensional image whose quality is “far superior” to the two-dimensional mammography that we mentioned earlier. “In just a few seconds it is possible to visualize all the breast tissue, which is a great advantage in the detection of breast cancer”, keeps White.
Likewise, it maintains that the precision of the tomosynthesis avoids unnecessary tests (what we call “second call”) for the performance of an ultrasound, biopsy or resonance that confirms a suspicious diagnosis. “By obtaining greater certainty in the diagnosis, we were able to eradicate the anxiety of the recent ones that until now had been forced to this second consultation when there was a suspicion of the presence of a tumor”, adds the specialist in radiodiagnosis of Quirónsalud Marbella.
Another advantage of the new 3D mammogram, according to breast radiologist Anna Alessandra Bellinvia, is that facilitates the detection of breast lumps, especially in those that are more dense: “Tomosynthesis offers us a three-dimensional image in which the existence of the lesion and its precise location can be clearly appreciated. This technique improves sensitivity in the dense breast by 15-20% compared to digital mammography ”.
Do you have risks?
SEGO recognizes that the benefit of diagnosis in conventional mammograms “far” exceeds the risk of exposure to X-ray radiation emitted during mammographyto. Specifically, it states that the effective radiation dose received when having a mammogram is approximately the same as that received by an average person from background radiation in three months.
In the case of 3D mammograms, the specialists of the Image Diagnosis Service of the Marbella hospital point out that “current technology has managed to minimize the radiation dose that a patient received decades ago”, while offering “greater comfort of the woman during the exploration time ”, because the compression in the taking of the images is less.
“Regardless of the age and density of the patient’s breast, this test is now better tolerated due to the rounded shape of the compressor. The paddles are curved and apply a uniform compression throughout the breast, reducing pain in this area and in the area next to the chest ”, they indicate.
Precisely, the Quirónsalud Marbella Hospital has just incorporated into the Imaging Diagnostic Unit a new latest generation 3D mammograph for the early detection of breast pathology.
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