MAMMOGRAPHY

SCREENING VS. DIAGNOSTIC

For over twenty three years, Pomona Valley Medical Center has focused on advancing the field of women’s health. Today, we are in a position to address the full continuum of breast care. From our powerful and intuitive digital breast imaging suite to our compassionate breast intervention and treatment options, we offer the most advanced technology and the very best in patient care. The Breast Health Center is committed in every way to enhancing women’s lives through earlier detection, improved diagnosis, and less invasive treatments. We help doctors see better, know sooner, and touch more lives.

Early detection continues to be the first line of defense against Breast Cancer however it is not fool proof. The importance of a clinical breast exam, by your healthcare provider, cannot be stressed enough. Your physician will make the decision as to whether a screening or diagnostic mammogram should be performed. A screening mammogram is part of a yearly check-up, and should only be performed on women who have no signs or symptoms of a current breast problem. A screening mammogram includes two views of each breast, which includes all of the breast tissue, back to the chest wall muscle. A recent statistical review of the Breast Health Center’s performance during the first half of the year 2008 revealed that 30 breast cancers were identified on screening studies, and 48 were identified on diagnostic studies. So even if you have no signs or symptoms of a breast problem, a screening mammogram can catch it!

A diagnostic mammogram is a problem-solving study. It is performed on those who are currently experiencing a sign or symptom of a breast problem, or one for whom an area is being followed rigorously. The same four views as in a screening study are performed, as well as whatever views are necessary to better define any area of concern. All diagnostic mammography is monitored by a radiologist, while the patient is at the center, so that the study will include all of the imaging necessary to make a diagnosis of the problem breast tissue. It is common to use breast ultrasound in conjunction with diagnostic mammography. (See the breast ultrasound section for further information.)

All mammography, whether screening or diagnostic, is compared to previous mammogram studies. The value of comparison studies is of utmost importance. Many breast biopsies have been avoided due to the ability of a previous study to prove that a particular area in question has not changed, which indicates a benign process.

The performance of mammography is very heavily regulated so that every woman in the country can be assured of receiving a high quality study. These regulations greatly improved the survival rates for Breast Cancer. During the infancy stages of formulating these regulations, the American College of Radiology began a voluntary program for mammography facilities to become accredited. The requirements were very stringent. Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center was the third mammography facility in the state of California to voluntarily become accredited. Our mammography facility has been accredited through the ACR program since it’s inception in 1986. Considering where to have your mammogram performed, no longer involves questioning the film quality alone. It does, however, involve questioning the skill of the physician that will be interpreting your films. Current wisdom recommends that women have their mammograms performed at a busy facility. The rationale of this recommendation is that the radiologists interpreting at busy facilities, have more experience, and have seen more breast pathology. During the year 2007, our Breast Health Center performed 18,930 breast related procedures. Ask any Breast Cancer Survivor about the value of quality imaging!!!

To read more about digital mammography, click on the Education & Support button on the left hand side, then click on Articles for our Patients and scroll down to the “Digital Mammography” article!