Northwest Health offers 3-D mammography

Northwest Breast Imaging Center at Willow Creek in Johnson, announced it recently began offering digital tomosynthesis, which relies on three-dimensional imaging to screen for breast cancer.

A new study published online in the journal Radiology indicated digital mammography is the gold standard for breast cancer screening, but it can yield false positives associated with a high recall rate in which additional imaging or biopsy is performed at added costs.

Digital tomosynthesis has been shown to reduce the recall rates for false positive, especially in younger women with dense breast tissue.

Tomosynthesis allows for 3-D reconstruction of the breast tissue, which can then be viewed as sequential slices through the breast.

The addition of tomosynthesis to conventional digital mammography resulted in a 30% reduction in the overall recall rate, according to a study by Yale University of Medicine