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Recent years have seen digital mammograms exceed their film counterparts in terms of accuracy and convenience. Learning about the role this diagnostic imaging technique plays in cancer screening can help women make an informed decision regarding their health.

How Digital Mammograms Work

Monroe-NY-MammogramAs part of the digital mammography scan, a radiology technician places the patient’s breast between two imaging plates. These plates press the breast and flatten it to get a deeper look into breast tissue. The technician will capture X-rays of your breast from one side to another, and then scan it from top to bottom. These images are directly transferred to a computer, and your healthcare facility stores it as a digital record.

Switching from film to digital mammograms has helped ensure much clearer and precise scans to facilitate early detection of malignant tumors. A 2005 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine tested its efficacy on nearly 50,000 women in comparison to film. The research concluded that digital mammography was more effective in detecting cancer among young, premenopausal, and peri-menopausal women. In addition, the test proved to be more helpful in scanning and diagnosing women with dense breast tissue.

Why This Diagnostic Imaging Technique Is Important

Mammogram-Monroe-NYStatistics show that invasive breast cancer is likely to affect one out of every eight women in the United States. With more than 40,000 breast cancer-related deaths expected in 2016 alone, the need for regular and precise screening cannot be emphasized enough. With its detailed views, digital mammography can help diagnose cancer at its very onset, helping you avoid invasive curative procedures. In fact, you can reduce your breast cancer risk by 30% by regularly getting screened after 40.

The cutting-edge technology of digital mammograms is a positive step forward in early and accurate diagnostic testing. Digital media provides a closer look at the breast tissue by producing better quality pictures than film, and digitalization also offers image manipulation options to produce clearer results.

Hudson Valley Imaging in Monroe, NY, offers a wide range of services including digital mammograms, ultrasounds, and MRIs. For further information about their diagnostic imaging services, call their experienced radiology experts at (845) 220-­2222 or visit their website.

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