Did you know one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer? That's a pretty scary statistic, especially for me, because I have a family history. My maternal grandmother died of breast cancer when my Mom was just 10. I wish I could have known my grandmother. From the way my Mom has described her, it sounds like we would have had a lot in common. I'm hoping breast cancer is not one of them. That's why when I heard about 3D mammography, I thought this is truly a break through and the next time I have my mammogram, I will definitely ask for 3D.
3D mammography gives radiologists a much clearer image of the breast from all angles. It allows them to see even tiny tumors that previously went undetected until they were much bigger and more advanced.
Recently, Methodist Richardson Medical Center hosted an event to honor breast cancer survivors and fighters. It was a fun theme of a Mad Hatter's tea. There was pampering with chair massages and makeovers. There were scarf tying demonstrations and even some crafting to see who could create the "maddest" Mad Hatter hat. There was a glamorous "pink" carpet where you could pose for a picture with your besties in your hat and a pink feather boa. But, there was also a purpose to this tea. Women from the community had the opportunity to tour Methodist Richardson's Women's Services, including 3D mammography, to learn how it's saving lives through early detection.
Guests were also treated to delicious hors d'oeuvres with sweet treats including macaroons and mini trifles.
During the tea, guests heard from Methodist Richardson breast cancer survivors who beat the odds, thanks in part to 3D mammography. They also heard from key note speaker, Jenevieve Hughes, MD., FACS.
To view pictures of the event, visit our Facebook page.
Dr. Hughes is a board certified, fellowship trained surgeon at Methodist Richardson who specializes in breast disease and breast surgery. She described the importance of 3D mammography with an analogy that makes a lot of sense to me.
She said to imagine a forest where you are standing in the middle and another person is standing on the edge. You're trying to take a picture of that person, but can only do so from two vantage points. The trees and branches may be in the way and you may only see a hand waving or a part of that person. She said that is what traditional 2D mammography is like. However, if you were able to take multiple pictures and synthesize them together, you would see that person in much clearer detail. That's what 3D mammography does.
Other benefits of this technology include:
- Greater accuracy at pinpointing size, shape, and location
- Fewer callbacks for additional imaging, like ultrasound or additional mammography (with traditional mammography, about 8 to 10 percent of patients require a callback)
- Improved imaging for dense tissue
That's enough for me. I am scheduled for my yearly mammogram next month and I will be getting 3D. I hope history doesn't repeat itself in my family, but if it does, I hope early detection makes the difference of a lifetime.
To schedule your mammogram at Methodist Richardson, call 469-204-2140 or go to https://www.methodisthealthsystem.org/RichardsonMammographyRequest.
Jan Arrant
As the Director of Community and Public Relations, Jan Arrant loves to tell the stories of the great successes at Methodist Richardson Medical Center. Jan joined Methodist Richardson earlier this year, after a long career in TV journalism. She says her Mom claims she's been telling stories her whole life. When Jan's not at work, you'll probably find her working in the yard, or in the kitchen. She's foodie at heart and loves to experiment. Jan thinks every recipe needs just a little tweaking.