Digital mammography

The risk of breast cancer increases as women age. Mammography screenings are a woman's best chance for detecting breast cancer early when treatment may be more effective. The National Cancer Institute recommends that women in their 40s and 50s be screened every one to two years, and women who have a higher risk should consult their physician about screenings before the age of 40.

The newest weapon in the arsenal used to detect cancer is digital mammography. Digital mammography outperforms standard film mammography in detecting breast cancer in women under the age of 50 who are not menopausal.

UI Hospitals and Clinics was part of the large, multi-center clinical trial that determined the effectiveness of digital mammography and is the one of the few sites in the nation with digital mammography capabilities. "This technology will improve screening for breast cancer," says Laurie Fajardo, MD, UI Hospitals and Clinics radiologist.

MammoSite

If you are diagnosed with breast cancer, UI Hospitals and Clinics offers a new breast conserving therapy option—MammoSite—that delivers radiation to the area where it is needed most, minimizes radiation exposure to healthy tissue, minimizes side effects, and offers good to excellent cosmetic results in 88 percent of women.

MammoSite Radiation Therapy System (RTS) delivers radiation from inside the breast to the tissue where cancer is most likely to recur. Following a lumpectomy, a less invasive surgery than a mastectomy, a high dose of radiation is placed inside the lumpectomy cavity via a soft balloon attached to a thin catheter.

"MammoSite is one way to provide women with an effective therapy that treats a smaller portion of the breast and can be done in a shorter period of time," says Geraldine Jacobson, MD, UI Hospitals and Clinics radiation oncologist.

This treatment is not for everyone. It works best for women over the age of 45 who have smaller tumors.

Indicators

• A lump in or near your breast or under your arm
• Thick or firm tissue in or near your breast or under your arm
• Nipple discharge or tenderness
• Inverted nipple
• Itching or skin changes such as redness, scales, dimples or puckers
• Change in breast size or shape

Risk factors you can't change

• Increasing age
• First menstrual period at age 11 or younger
• Onset of menopause after 50
• Family history
• Jewish ethnicity

Reduce your risk

• Stop smoking
• Eat three servings of vegetables per day
• Limit alcohol consumption to one drink per day
• Engage in moderate physical activity
• Maintain a healthy postmenopausal body weight
• Consult your physician about using tamoxifen or raloxifene
• Have annual mammograms
• Do monthly breast self examination

For more information, contact UI Health Access, 319-384-8442, ext. 1006, or 800-700-8442, ext. 1006.