Pics: Abhijith N Kolpe

Mangaluru, Dec 10: Something new this Christmas season has landed in the city, the power of advanced 3D mammography at the Father Muller Medical College Hospital. The latest in mammography technology with tomosynthesis brings in cutting edge technology to the peoples of Mangalore. The blessing of the Machine was carried by Rev. Fr Richard Aloysius Coelho, director of the Father Muller Charitable Institutions on December 10 in presence of the management committee members and the faculty of the college.

Tomosynthesis or ‘3D’ mammography is a new type of digital x-ray mammogram which creates 2D and 3D-like pictures of the breasts. This tool improves the ability of mammography to detect early breast cancers, and decreases the number of women ‘called back’ for additional tests for findings that are not cancers. This latest technology not only provides clarity of image but provides a dignified approach to breast screening procedure. This new mammogram brings in improved quality in patient care with painless procedure. Specific specialty of this screening are improved lesion visibility and detection, helps localize structures, removes overlapping structures and increases potential cancer detection.

During a ‘3D’ exam, an X-ray arm sweeps in a slight arc over the breast, taking multiple low dose x-ray images. Then, a computer produces synthetic 2D and ‘3D’ images of breast tissue. The images include thin one millimeter slices, enabling the radiologist to scroll through images of the entire breast like flipping through pages of a book, and providing more detail than previously possible. The ‘3D’ images reduce the overlap of breast tissue, and make it possible for a radiologist to better see through the breast tissue on the mammogram.

With conventional digital mammography, the radiologist is viewing the tissues of the breast overlapping on flat images. This tissue overlap can sometimes make cancers hard to detect. Also, overlap can sometimes create areas that appear abnormal, but require that you be ‘called back’ for additional tests to determine that cancer is not present (so-called false positives). Multiple studies have shown that ‘3D’ mammography increases the detection of breast cancer by approximately 25%, and decreases the number of false positive call backs by approximately 15%.

Dr Ram Shenoy Basti, professor and Head Department Of Radio-Diagnosis, welcomed the gathering and provided the details of the new machine and promoted its benefits to the audience. Dr Jnaneshwari Srikrishna Sowmayaji, surgical oncologist delivered the vote of thanks. Dr Kelvin Peter Pais, liaison officer FMCI compered the event.