Digital Mammography

Axcess Diagnostics is proud to be the first outpatient facility in Manatee and Sarasota County to offer the full-field GE digital mammography system. In concert with computer-aided detection or CAD, this system offers the most advanced technology available today for breast health.  For women, breast cancer is a dreaded and devastating disease. Over a lifetime, one in eight American women are affected by breast cancer. It is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death in women. Although currently there is no way to prevent breast cancer, early detection is a woman's best hope for effective treatment and better survival rates.   Why digital mammography? Digital mammography was developed for many important reasons. The system transfers images to a computer so they can be electronically enhanced. Your doctor can zoom in, magnify and optimize different parts of the breast tissue using just four standard pictures. And special software allows your doctor to view the entire breast on one image. This technology allows for faster scan times, fewer retakes, therefore a reduced dose of radiation, and better image quality.   With film, you look at a one image, from one perspective. With digital, Radiologists can manipulate the image contrast, brightness, and magnification levels to see abnormalities more clearly.  In addition, with digital, Radiologists can easily transmit an image to another facility, saving time and allowing faster information flow to benefit the patient. How do digital mammograms differ from conventional film? The steps involved from your perspective will be very similar. How the images are captured and what healthcare providers can do with them sets digital apart. Digital mammograms let your doctor focus in on the areas of concern, which enhance readability and interpretation of the image. And digital allows the image to be stored and viewed when ever necessary at the push of a button. What is Computer Aided Detection (CAD) technology? This CAD technology is a sophisticated tool that identifies suspicious lesions and assists the radiologist in the early detection of breast cancer.  Used routinely, digital CAD can serve as a sensitive detection aid - in essence, as a second set of eyes - to support and enhance the radiologist's judgment. The importance of early detection.		What does this new technology mean for you the patient?  Improved image resolution Better visibility at the skin line Greater image flexibility Shorter exam times Faster results Fewer call backs Less anxiety