Dothan hospital first with 3-D mammogram technology

DOTHAN, AL (WSFA) - When Joan Sharon started experiencing pain in her breast, she knew she wanted a doctor to take a closer look.

"They've been following up on my one breast for two years now and they keep saying everything is okay," said Sharon.

In previous doctor's visits she's had a regular mammogram, but at Tuesday's visit, she opted for the new screening method at Southeast Alabama Medical Center. The hospital is the first in Dothan to offer 3-D Mammogram screening technology.

"Now that we've got this new technology, I thought this would be a really good time to take a good look at it," said Sharon.

For the patient, nothing changes. "There's no added compression. The procedure is pretty much the same for the patient. The machine is just doing more work," said Norlisha Miller, Mammographer.

More work that could help a doctor detect breast cancer sooner, "Some research shows up to 40 percent breast cancer detection," said Dr. Anthony Hollman, Radiologist, "Mammography is the only screening imagining method we have that's been proven to decrease breast cancer mortality.

The machine takes extensive pictures of the breast tissue and gives doctors a closer look at each layer, "The breast tissue is white. The cancer is also white. It is a possibility an abnormality could be obscured on a normal mammogram," said Hollman.

According to research, one in eight women is impacted by breast cancer in their lifetime. This year, it's estimated over 250,000 new cases will be diagnosed.

Hollman says the benefits include not only earlier detection, but it decreases false positive readings and is a better screening method for women with dense breast tissue.

The new 3-D mammogram technology was approved by the FDA in 2013. Right now, Medicare is one of the only insurances covering the screening, but doctors say they expect to see a shift, "From a physician's standpoint and a radiologist standpoint, we found this to be an invaluable test. We think that it will eventually become the standard of care," said Hollman.

"It's all about catching breast cancer early, so why not have a better-detailed test," said Miller.

For patients without Medicare, the cost of the screening is $35 dollars and an additional $35 for the test reading.

After years of pain, but being told everything was okay, Sharon said she felt relief doctors were finally able to get a better look, "I could feel some comfort knowing that it is okay."

The hospital started using the machine in mid-August. They say they are having more patients request the 3-D machine and may need to purchase another machine to accommodate the increasing appointments.

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