BJC HealthCare is the first and only health system to offer 3D mammography in St. Charles County. This technology offers the highest resolution breast scans available — and is available at both Barnes-Jewish St. Peters and Progress West Hospitals.
- All women are eligible to receive 3D mammography
- No special order or special exam is needed
- It takes just four seconds to perform
- 3D imaging services are billed at no more than $100
Everything is Clearer in 3D
A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that 3D mammography (which physicians refer to as "tomography") resulted in a 28 percent increase in cancer detection and a 37 percent reduction in the recall rate for additional testing (when compared to 2D mammography). This improved mammography technology is especially helpful for women with dense breast tissue.
Compared to ordinary mammography machines that produce one flat picture, 3D mammography equipment produces layers and layers of sharp images -- each layer just one millimeter thin -- stacked on top of each other like pages in a book. This allows the radiologist to scroll through your digital mammogram page by page, layer by layer, to look for suspicious masses.
More Details For Us Means More Peace of Mind for You
Previously, if a mammogram displayed an abnormality, the patient was asked to return for additional testing. Now, with 3D mammography, there are fewer “false positives.” What might have seemed like an abnormal piece of breast tissue can be ruled out when our radiologist reviews the image layer by layer, saving the patient from a return trip and needless anxiety.
The Best Defense is a Strong Offense, and That Begins With Early Detection
The sooner cancer is detected, the sooner treatment can begin, which greatly increases the patient's opportunity for survival. The new 3D mammography technology sees cancer better. It finds more invasive cancer earlier.
If your 3D image reveals a mass, a BJC physician radiologist, who specializes in reading breast imaging, can fast-track you for treatment without hesitation because Progress West Hospital provides imaging, surgery and oncology treatments all on-campus.
The 3D mammography image (right) revealed a tumor that was less visible in the regular mammogram (left).