|
Mammograms:
Digital Technology Yields Faster Results
Each
year, hundreds of Valley women receive screening mammograms.
These women know the importance that early detection plays in
the fight against breast cancer. In the past, such women have
anxiously awaited the results of their mammography exam as the
film from the procedure was developed.
For women who get their yearly mammograms in Harlingen, the
process has undergone a dramatic change. The installation of a
new digital mammography system at the new
Treasure Hills
Imaging Center near Valley Baptist Medical Center-Harlingen
has the potential to make screening mammograms quicker and more
efficient for many Valley women.
The new digital technology means there’s no more waiting for
film to be developed. The image is available almost
instantaneously. Radiologists on Valley Baptist's medical staff
can digitally enhance and manipulate images for clarity -- which
means there is less need to put patients through the
inconvenience of re-takes.
“This new facility uses the Picture Archiving and
Communications System (PACS), which allows storing of results on
digital media rather than film,” said
Thomas Pirtle, M.D., Radiologist
with Valley Radiologists & Associates. Dr. Pirtle said the
system makes it easier for the radiologists to store and
retrieve patients’ test results. Results can be forwarded to
consulting physicians almost instantly … so that patients and
doctors no longer have to wait while the film is mailed.
Breast cancer is a leading cause of death in American women.
One in eight women will develop the disease at some point in her
life. However, when breast cancer is detected early, it’s one of
the most treatable forms of cancer.
To maintain breast health, women are encouraged to follow the
American Cancer Society’s
guidelines. That means women aged 20 to 39 should perform breast
self-examinations monthly, and have a clinical breast exam every
three years. From age 40 on, women should perform breast
self-exams each month, and have both a clinical exam and a
screening mammogram every year.
Those at higher risk of breast cancer should ask their
doctors about the need for earlier or more frequent exams.
For more information, or to schedule a mammogram, please call
the Treasure
Hills Imaging Center at (956) 389-3300.
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
|