ProHealth Care expands 3D mammography to Oconomowoc Memorial

Media Contact:

Sandra Peterson

262-928-4997 (office)

414-557-2754 (pager)

 

WAUKESHA, WI – ProHealth Care announced today that generous gifts from the community have made it possible to expand three-dimensional mammography services to Oconomowoc Memorial Hospital.

ProHealth Care was the first health care system in Wisconsin to offer 3D mammography, which represents a revolutionary advancement in the detection of breast cancer at the earliest stages.

“With 3D mammography, we’re providing earlier diagnosis and the benefits for our patients have been even better than we expected,” said Jennifer Bergin, MD, ProHealth Care’s medical director of breast imaging. “Most important is the peace of mind our patients experience because of results that are clear.”

The service has been available since 2012 at the Center for Breast Care at ProHealth’s Waukesha Memorial Hospital, where more than 2,500 3D mammograms have been performed.

Recent national and international studies have shown cancer detection rates of 40 percent to 50 percent higher with 3D mammography compared with conventional mammography.

The new technology at Oconomowoc Memorial was funded with $450,000 from community fundraising events and donations.

“Women in our community joined forces because they recognize the importance of this leading-edge technology that will help their friends and family members through early diagnosis and treatment,” said Maureen Gerard, vice president of the ProHealth Care Foundation.

Marijo Weissgerber of Oconomowoc Lake had driven to Waukesha Memorial so she could have the 3D mammogram. A family history of cancer has raised her awareness of the disease and the importance of early diagnosis.

Weissgerber helped raise funds for the technology at Oconomowoc Memorial so that it will be available closer to home for the women she knows and loves.

“All of us have known someone with breast cancer,” Weissgerber said. “I’m concerned for my daughter and others and I want to make sure the technology is there for them.”

The service is now also available at the ProHealth Care Medical Associates clinic on Stone Ridge Dr. in Pewaukee.

The technology, called tomosynthesis, uses specialized computing to convert digital breast images into a stack of very thin layers or “slices,” to build a 3D graphic image. During the exam, the X-ray arm sweeps in an arc over the breast, taking multiple images in only seconds. A computer then produces a 3D image of the patient’s breast tissue in one-millimeter layers.

Tomosynthesis gives radiologists the ability to see breast tissue detail in a way never before possible. Instead of viewing all the complexities of the breast tissue in a flat image, the doctor can examine the tissue one millimeter at a time, like flipping through the pages of a book. Fine details are more clearly visible, no longer hidden by the tissue above and below.

With 3D mammography, radiologists have the ability to detect and diagnose the smallest cancers, as well as rule out abnormalities that may have looked suspicious in a traditional 2D mammogram. This reduces the need for women to be called back for additional imaging or biopsies.

The technology is especially significant for those with a genetic predisposition for breast cancer as well as for breast cancer survivors, who are at risk for recurrence.

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among women, exceeded only by lung cancer.  One in eight women will develop breast cancer at some point in their lives. The stage at which breast cancer is detected greatly influences a woman’s chance of survival. If detected early, the five-year survival rate is 97 percent.

ProHealth Care has long been a leader in breast health services, offering all-digital mammography, a multidisciplinary team approach and immediate results for most appointments.

For more information about 3D mammography, visit www.prohealthcare.org/breasthealth. To schedule a mammogram, call 262-928-3000.

 

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