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Mammograms: Your Questions Answered
Dr. Laura Thomas discusses mammograms.
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Learn more about Laura Thomas, MD
Laura Thomas, MD
Laura Thomas, MD's Expertise in breast imaging, breast intervention, abdominal imaging, oncologic imaging, and PET/CT. She joined Raleigh Radiology in 2003.Learn more about Laura Thomas, MD
Transcription:
Mammograms: Your Questions Answered
Caitlin Whyte (Host): Mammograms are an essential, but often misunderstood part of women's health. So, to answer some of your questions about the mammogram process, we are joined by Dr. Laura Thomas, the Section Head of Breast Imaging at Raleigh Radiology, WakeMed's partner in mammography services. This is WakeMed Voices, a podcast brought to you by WakeMed Health and Hospitals in Raleigh, North Carolina.
I'm your host, Caitlin Whyte. So, today we are talking all about mammograms. To start us off, What is dense breast tissue?
Laura Thomas, MD (Guest): Dense breast tissue is when a woman has mostly breast tissue in her breasts and not a lot of fat. So that is dependent on your body habitus or kind of body makeup as well as age and genetics all play into that. So, it's not really something that a woman can change, but it is helpful for her to know her breast density. That is typically reported on all mammogram reports.
Host: And what are some things to look for when you're looking for a place to get a mammogram?
Dr. Thomas: The most important thing to look for is a facility that is accredited by the American College of Radiology. That information is readily available on the ACR website, as well as the facility's website. They also have to display their certification so you can check it out when you go into the facility. The second thing I would suggest is to make sure that there is a Fellowship Trained Breast Radiologist or a Breast Radiologist that specializes in breast imaging on-site or supervising the facility. That way, you know, that you're getting state-of-the-art care.
Host: Gotcha. So, there are so many ways to get a mammogram these days. Can you tell us about some of the technology available?
Dr. Thomas: Old school might have been the conventional 2D mammogram, which is where two views of each breast are performed. Several years ago, a reiteration or improvement of that was introduced, which is called 3D mammograms or tomosynthesis. And that is rapidly becoming the standard of care throughout the United States. That technology involves the x-ray tube sweeping kind of like in a semicircle or partial arch over the breast. And it acquires images kind of as if it were doing a CT scan of the breast or thinly slicing the breast. It turns it into thin slices and the radiologist can review a stack or slice of the breast to look for small abnormalities. There are reformats that are involved, and this is a more sensitive type of mammogram than the conventional 2D. So, pretty much we're moving towards state of the art to be 3D or tomosynthesis mammogram screening.
Host: And wrapping up. Just remind us why early detection is so important.
Dr. Thomas: Early detection is important because a breast cancer found at an earlier stage, when the mass is smaller and hasn't spread to the lymph nodes, has a more favorable long-term survival or prognosis. So, finding a small breast cancer is easier to treat than a large breast cancer that may have involved adjacent structures, or when there is spread to the lymph nodes or other distant organs. The treatment outlook for that is not quite as bright as the small cancers that are typically detected with screening and exams.
Host: Always a great reminder. Doctor, do you have anything else to add maybe for those who are scheduling their first mammogram?
Dr. Thomas: For those who are scheduling their first mammogram, I would say it's not as bad as the hype out there. Typically, tell the technologist that it's your first exam and she'll walk you through it and explain what is going on and what the purpose is. The first mammogram that a patient has, is read very tightly by the radiologist because she doesn't have any prior studies to compare it to. And in some ways a mammogram is like a fingerprint, it's unique to each person.
So, without any prior studies to compare, the radiologist has to ensure that any asymmetry or any small finding has been stable for several years; if not, they may ask you to return to do some extra views, to make sure that the baseline upon which further mammograms are going to be based, is in fact, a negative or. I think the second thing I would tell someone who's getting their baseline mammogram is congratulations. You've taken your health and responsibility for it, into your own hands. And you're getting a test which is easy to have done, that can really ensure your health over the term done. So, you get a gold star and check that off your list.
Host: Well, just some great information all around. Thank you for joining us today. To learn more about WakeMed Imaging Services and locations, please visit wakemed.org. And thank you for listening. I'm Caitlin Whyte with WakeMed Voices brought to you by WakeMed Health and Hospitals in Raleigh, North Carolina. Stay well.
Mammograms: Your Questions Answered
Caitlin Whyte (Host): Mammograms are an essential, but often misunderstood part of women's health. So, to answer some of your questions about the mammogram process, we are joined by Dr. Laura Thomas, the Section Head of Breast Imaging at Raleigh Radiology, WakeMed's partner in mammography services. This is WakeMed Voices, a podcast brought to you by WakeMed Health and Hospitals in Raleigh, North Carolina.
I'm your host, Caitlin Whyte. So, today we are talking all about mammograms. To start us off, What is dense breast tissue?
Laura Thomas, MD (Guest): Dense breast tissue is when a woman has mostly breast tissue in her breasts and not a lot of fat. So that is dependent on your body habitus or kind of body makeup as well as age and genetics all play into that. So, it's not really something that a woman can change, but it is helpful for her to know her breast density. That is typically reported on all mammogram reports.
Host: And what are some things to look for when you're looking for a place to get a mammogram?
Dr. Thomas: The most important thing to look for is a facility that is accredited by the American College of Radiology. That information is readily available on the ACR website, as well as the facility's website. They also have to display their certification so you can check it out when you go into the facility. The second thing I would suggest is to make sure that there is a Fellowship Trained Breast Radiologist or a Breast Radiologist that specializes in breast imaging on-site or supervising the facility. That way, you know, that you're getting state-of-the-art care.
Host: Gotcha. So, there are so many ways to get a mammogram these days. Can you tell us about some of the technology available?
Dr. Thomas: Old school might have been the conventional 2D mammogram, which is where two views of each breast are performed. Several years ago, a reiteration or improvement of that was introduced, which is called 3D mammograms or tomosynthesis. And that is rapidly becoming the standard of care throughout the United States. That technology involves the x-ray tube sweeping kind of like in a semicircle or partial arch over the breast. And it acquires images kind of as if it were doing a CT scan of the breast or thinly slicing the breast. It turns it into thin slices and the radiologist can review a stack or slice of the breast to look for small abnormalities. There are reformats that are involved, and this is a more sensitive type of mammogram than the conventional 2D. So, pretty much we're moving towards state of the art to be 3D or tomosynthesis mammogram screening.
Host: And wrapping up. Just remind us why early detection is so important.
Dr. Thomas: Early detection is important because a breast cancer found at an earlier stage, when the mass is smaller and hasn't spread to the lymph nodes, has a more favorable long-term survival or prognosis. So, finding a small breast cancer is easier to treat than a large breast cancer that may have involved adjacent structures, or when there is spread to the lymph nodes or other distant organs. The treatment outlook for that is not quite as bright as the small cancers that are typically detected with screening and exams.
Host: Always a great reminder. Doctor, do you have anything else to add maybe for those who are scheduling their first mammogram?
Dr. Thomas: For those who are scheduling their first mammogram, I would say it's not as bad as the hype out there. Typically, tell the technologist that it's your first exam and she'll walk you through it and explain what is going on and what the purpose is. The first mammogram that a patient has, is read very tightly by the radiologist because she doesn't have any prior studies to compare it to. And in some ways a mammogram is like a fingerprint, it's unique to each person.
So, without any prior studies to compare, the radiologist has to ensure that any asymmetry or any small finding has been stable for several years; if not, they may ask you to return to do some extra views, to make sure that the baseline upon which further mammograms are going to be based, is in fact, a negative or. I think the second thing I would tell someone who's getting their baseline mammogram is congratulations. You've taken your health and responsibility for it, into your own hands. And you're getting a test which is easy to have done, that can really ensure your health over the term done. So, you get a gold star and check that off your list.
Host: Well, just some great information all around. Thank you for joining us today. To learn more about WakeMed Imaging Services and locations, please visit wakemed.org. And thank you for listening. I'm Caitlin Whyte with WakeMed Voices brought to you by WakeMed Health and Hospitals in Raleigh, North Carolina. Stay well.