Breast health is a concern to women of every age, and at our centers, breast health is taken very seriously. The TRICAT breast centers provide a complete range of sophisticated diagnostic breast imaging. The TRICAT staff is sensitive to the needs of every patient for privacy, gentleness, coaching and instruction in self-examination. Full disclosure of information related to breast health is available through individual consultation and through educational and women's' health awareness programs.
TRICAT’s Breast Center is fully accredited by the American College of Radiology and the FDA. The Breast Center offers a private waiting area for our patients, affording privacy and comfort. The exam room offers patients complete privacy including a private restroom. All patients are educated in breast self examination and early detection techniques by fully trained and certified female mammography technologists. Diagnostic mammograms are scheduled so that our patients will receive results usually during the examination, eliminating, in most cases, the waiting period and patient anxieties.
For more information please refer to:
Screening Mammogram: Questions and Answers
*Provided by the National Cancer Institute
Mammography is a safe, low-dose x-ray picture of the breast that allows early detection of breast cancer. In a screening mammogram, images are taken from two angles of each breast. A diagnostic mammogram requires more angles and is used if there is a concern from the original screening mammogram, or for special circumstances, such as breast implants.
Our facilities perform mammograms in a separate "Breast Center" which is a warm, pleasant and private environment. During your exam, you will be positioned in front of a special x-ray machine. Each of your breasts will be pressed momentarily between an adjustable platform and a clear plate. Some brief pressure is necessary to flatten the breast in order to get the clearest picture. The entire exam typically takes about 10-15 minutes.
Computer-aided detection (CAD) involves the use of computers to bring suspicious areas on a mammogram to the radiologist’s attention. It is used after the radiologist has done the initial review of the mammogram.
In 1998, the FDA approved a breast imaging device that uses CAD technology. Others are in development. An example of a breast imaging device that uses CAD technology is the ImageChecker®. This device scans the mammogram with a laser beam and converts it into a digital signal that is processed by a computer. The image is then displayed on a video monitor, with suspicious areas highlighted for the radiologist to review. The radiologist can compare the digital image with the conventional mammogram to see if any of the highlighted areas were missed on the initial review and require further evaluation. CAD technology may improve the accuracy of screening mammography. The incorporation of CAD technology to digital mammography is under evaluation.
With CAD systems, radiologists have a means to overcome the known limitations of human interpretation of mammograms. Studies have shown that CAD significantly increases radiologist sensitivity for the detection of breast cancer, without increasing the radiologist’s work-up rate
Tricat, in its continual pursuit of delivering top quality services to our patients, has incorporated the latest technology in the fight against breast cancer, CAD (Computer Aided Detection) into our Mammography Department.
Computer-aided detection (CAD) technology is a recent advance in the field of breast imaging. The CAD technology basically works like a second pair of eyes for the radiologist, reviewing a patient's mammogram film after the radiologist has already made an initial interpretation. The CAD technology works to digitally review a patient’s mammogram after the radiologists interpretation. This “second read” by CAD provides an extra level of protection for mammography patients.
Cancer patient survival and quality of life is dramatically improved when the cancer is identified at an early and treatable stage. Studies show that up to 23% more cancers can be detected, as early as 15 months sooner when Second Look CAD augments traditional mammography screening.
With the CAD technology, the radiologist still makes the final interpretation of the mammogram. This breakthrough technology provides and extra level of protection for mammography patients, without the need for any additional procedures or doctor’s appointments. Tricat is pleased to offer this breakthrough technology for its patients.
Ultrasound is a simple, safe, painless diagnostic procedure that bounces high-frequency sound waves off parts of the body and captures the returning "echoes" as images. There is no injection or radiation exposure associated with ultrasound.
Ultrasound can capture moving images of pelvic and abdominal function, breast abnormalities, the male reproductive system, the kidney and thyroid systems (including gallstones), and fetal development, among other applications. When enhanced with a special Doppler technique, ultrasound can also capture moving blood images of the heart and large blood vessels.
During the procedure, a conducting gel is applied to your skin and a transducer is used to pass harmless sound waves through your body and capture the echoes. Images are instantly captured on a monitor and transferred to film for a radiologist to review and interpret. Exams can take anywhere from 20-60 minutes.
In magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a magnet linked to a computer creates detailed pictures of areas inside the body without the use of radiation. Each MRI produces hundreds of images of the breast from side-to-side, top-to-bottom, and front-to-back. The images are then interpreted by a radiologist.
During an MRI of the breast, the patient lies on her stomach on the scanning table. The breast hangs into a depression or hollow in the table, which contains coils that detect the magnetic signal. The table is moved into a tube-like machine that contains the magnet. After an initial series of images has been taken, the patient may be given a contrast agent intravenously (by injection into a vein). The contrast agent is not radioactive; it is sometimes used to improve the visibility of a tumor. Additional images are then taken. The entire imaging session takes about 1 hour.
Breast MRI is not used for routine breast cancer screening, but clinical trials (research studies with people) are being performed to determine if MRI is valuable for screening certain women, such as young women at high risk for breast cancer. MRI cannot always accurately distinguish between cancer and benign (noncancerous) breast conditions. Like ultrasound, MRI cannot detect microcalcifications.
MRI is used primarily to evaluate breast implants for leaks or ruptures, and to assess abnormal areas that are seen on a mammogram or are felt after breast surgery or radiation therapy. It can be used after breast cancer is diagnosed to determine the extent of the tumor in the breast. MRI is also sometimes useful in imaging dense breast tissue, which is often found in younger women, and in viewing breast abnormalities that can be felt but are not visible with conventional mammography or ultrasound.
