Officials from the Mary Rutan Crawfis Imaging Center announced Monday, Jan. 20, the implementation of a new technology at the center — Automated Breast Ultrasound (ABUS).
This is a cutting-edge diagnostic tool that helps detect small cancers that cannot be seen on a mammogram alone in women with dense breast tissue. Currently, the Mary Rutan Crawfis Imaging Center, 120 Dowell Ave., Bellefontaine, is the only healthcare facility to offer Automated Breast Ultrasound within a 30-mile radius.
Automated Breast Ultrasound is a supplemental screening designed to be used in conjunction with traditional mammography screenings. ABUS is usually covered by insurance with a physician order in women with dense breasts. “Statistically, 40 percent of women have dense breast tissue, but if you include those women who have focal areas of dense tissue, an additional 10-20 percent of women could benefit from this exam,” explained Dr. Michael Barrows, radiologist at Mary Rutan Crawfis Imaging Center.
The difficulty radiologists experience when reading mammograms is that both dense tissue and cancer appear white on a mammogram.
With ABUS, suspicious masses appear black against the white dense tissue.
“Mammography continues to be the gold standard for the detection of breast cancer; however, it doesn’t work equally well in all women, particularly those with dense breast tissue,” adds Dr. Barrows.
“Research shows that ABUS technology as an adjunct to mammography has the potential to find 35.7 percent additional cancers that would not have been found with mammography alone.”
The Mary Rutan Crawfis Imaging Center team recommends that women get annual screening mammograms.
If they have been informed that they have dense breast tissue, they should talk to their doctor about their specific risk and additional screening tests that may be appropriate.
Call the Mary Rutan Crawfis Imaging Center to schedule your annual mammogram and to be screened for dense breast tissue at (937) 592-1883.