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Mammography And You: New Technologies You Should Know About

by Stephen Silva

When the time comes for your annual mammogram, you may find yourself filled with dread and anxiety. After all, mammograms are said to be uncomfortable and/or unpleasant. However, this does not have to be the case. In fact, newer technologies in the field of mammography can help to ease your worries and your potential discomfort about your next mammogram appointment. To ensure you are abreast of all of the new advances in this women's health field, get to know some of these new technologies and make sure that you can partake in them at your next appointment. 

Pain-Reducing Sensors

Women's breasts come in all shapes and sizes. But, mammogram machines do not. As such, there can be a great deal of difference in the experiences that women have in the procedure. Some may experience pain while others only feel mild discomfort. 

To help remedy this variation in the mammogram experience, doctors and researchers have developed a thin film that can be placed between the mammogram machine and your breast. This film actually contains sensors that send information about the pressure being applied to your breast to the technician.

When the pressure reaches a certain level, they can stop the compression process and perform the scan. This creates consistency and regularity in the mammogram process and all but eliminates pain from the procedure. 

Double-Checking Scans

In addition to making the process more comfortable, new technologies allow for better reading of the scans that the mammogram machine produces. First, a radiologist will review the scans, looking for any abnormalities, lumps, or causes for concern. 

After this initial scan, a computer-based system will examine the scans as well, looking for any minute details that the human doctor may have missed. This can help to further improve the accuracy of your mammogram screenings, better serving to detect any potential problems. 

3-D Mammogram Images

Finally, traditional mammogram scans produce images in two dimensions, creating a flat image of your breast tissue. While these scans do work to help you in the early detection of breast cancer, there is a better option that recently became available. 

3-D imagery in mammography allows doctors to get a full and detailed picture of the breast tissue. The image goes layer by layer, which allows doctors to get a closer look at your cells and any abnormalities that may exist. 

New technologies in mammography can serve to make your experience more comfortable and more accurate. All you need to do is ensure that your doctor utilizes these new technologies to improve your next mammogram. 

Reach out to a local imaging clinic, like Radiology Affiliates Imaging, for more details on specific equipment and procedures.

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