Cancer screenings go 3-D, and mobile
There is a new weapon in the fight against Breast Cancer and it has been hitting the roads around the Pacific Northwest since October. On Saturday it paid a visit to Coos Bay.
The Women's Health Initiative Mobile Breast Imaging Tour was set-up outside the Coos Bay Fire Station.
It was a free service brought to the area by Tower Ford, the Ford Motor Company Fund, and HealthFair, which is a mobile testing provider.
Kaitye O'Sullivan is the team leader for the group based out of Seattle and says the need for better early detection is particularly high in the Northwest.
"We just started this with the Ford Initiative Fund in October. We're currently the only team with HealthFair that does 3-D breast ultrasound, and we'll be doing it until the end of March."
For years, mammograms were the standard in breast cancer detection. But, they have limitations, with numbers showing that 15.5 million breast cancer cases go undetected or undiagnosed each year.
The new technology provides a system that uses sound waves to create a 3-D image in just 60 seconds.
"It's an automated 3-D ultrasound machine," says O'Sullivan. "It actually gives us information on the breast tissue all the way to the rib cage. So, if there is a small indication that there could be something growing you're able to see it more clearly that maybe with a typical mammogram."
That is not to say these will replace the need for mammograms.
"We do recommend that you do still have a typical mammogram, depending on what our doctor recommends and your personal recommendation from your doctor."
To find out more about their tour and dates, or to make an appointment, check out their website at fordwomenshealth.com.
The Women's Health Initiative Mobile Breast Imaging Tour was set-up outside the Coos Bay Fire Station.
It was a free service brought to the area by Tower Ford, the Ford Motor Company Fund, and HealthFair, which is a mobile testing provider.
Kaitye O'Sullivan is the team leader for the group based out of Seattle and says the need for better early detection is particularly high in the Northwest.
"We just started this with the Ford Initiative Fund in October. We're currently the only team with HealthFair that does 3-D breast ultrasound, and we'll be doing it until the end of March."
For years, mammograms were the standard in breast cancer detection. But, they have limitations, with numbers showing that 15.5 million breast cancer cases go undetected or undiagnosed each year.
The new technology provides a system that uses sound waves to create a 3-D image in just 60 seconds.
"It's an automated 3-D ultrasound machine," says O'Sullivan. "It actually gives us information on the breast tissue all the way to the rib cage. So, if there is a small indication that there could be something growing you're able to see it more clearly that maybe with a typical mammogram."
That is not to say these will replace the need for mammograms.
"We do recommend that you do still have a typical mammogram, depending on what our doctor recommends and your personal recommendation from your doctor."
To find out more about their tour and dates, or to make an appointment, check out their website at fordwomenshealth.com.
Learn about changes coming to commenting