October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so we thought we’d mention that getting your routine screening mammogram isn’t just for you – it’s for everyone who matters to you. They need you to be around for a long time, and regular breast cancer screenings can help you do just that.
Early discovery of breast cancer is the key to beating a disease that affects roughly 1 in 8 women in the US. Even though the recorded number of women who get breast cancer has remained about the same, the 5-year survival rate has risen to an average of 90%. Better yet, when breast cancer is discovered before it has had a chance to spread, the 5-year survival rate leaps to 99%. That is an impressive and encouraging statistic, one that we at RAI want to see improve even more.
Until there is a cure for breast cancer, the best health option is early discovery, and the best technology we have in our arsenal is 3D mammography, also known as breast tomosynthesis. 3D mammography provides exceptional detail compared to traditional mammography, especially among the estimated 47% of women with dense breast tissue, which is more difficult to image than fat tissue. 3D mammography captures multiple images of breast tissue from varying angles simultaneously, seeing through dense breast tissue with up to 40% greater accuracy. It is so effective that 3D mammography is the only screening exam approved as superior by the FDA for women with dense breast tissue.
Even in women without dense breasts, 3D mammography’s extra measure of accuracy creates about the same experience as traditional mammography, but produces fewer false alarms, so there’s less anxiety and fewer additional tests to undergo. Now, that’s a true improvement in care.
RAI was one of the first local providers to utilize 3D screening mammography, and the only center committed to ensuring that all images are read in-house by our board certified doctors of radiology. That’s why so many area physicians partner with RAI to deliver the best possible care, so that you and those you love can get the most out of life.
If you’re due for a routine screening mammogram, contact your local RAI for an appointment.