Not Your Mother’s Mammogram: New Technology, Improved Outcomes

Authored by Nathaniel Margolis, MD, Board Certified Radiologist and Director of Women’s Imaging, and Medical Director, Ray W. Moody M.D. Breast Center

We have always known that mammograms are the best way to detect breast cancer early and save lives. But now we are looking at mammograms in a whole new way – in 3D.

Mammograms have come a long way since the “good ol’ days” of film X-rays. The mammogram images had to be taken on greenish-black films, hung on light boards, and stored in file folders that would burst at the seams from years’ worth of priors.

In the mid 2000s came digital mammography and PACS (Picture Archiving Computer Systems), a major advance that allowed mammogram images to be taken and stored electronically. However, the images themselves were essentially same 4 views as the film days.

Is 3D Mammography Better?

3D mammography, or digital breast tomosynthesis, is the latest advance in mammogram technology. Instead of taking only 4 images, the 3D mammogram acquires approximately 200. This enables the radiologist to scan through the tissue to find lurking tumors that would otherwise be missed by 2D mammograms.

The result?

Ask your doctor about regular mammography exams. Call 845-333-7900 today to schedule your mammography at Garnet Health Medical Center.

About Nathaniel Margolis, MD
Dr. Margolis is a Board Certified Radiologist and is the Director of Women’s Imaging as well as the Medical Director of the Ray W. Moody M.D. Breast Center at Garnet Health Medical Center. He received his medical degree from the New York University School of Medicine and received his Bachelor’s degree in biomedical science, as part of the school’s accelerated Bachelor’s degree/medical degree program, from the Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education at the City College of New York. He attended the international exchange program at the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City.

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