Digital Mammography 101 - An Overview Of The Future Of Mammograms

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Article Title:

Digital Mammography 101 - An Overview Of The Future Of Mammograms

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Article Description:

Breast cancer has become a real threat to all women.

According to the National Cancer Institute, 12.7 percent of

females born today will be diagnosed with breast cancer at

some point during their lifetime. This number continues to

increase, making breast cancer awareness and prevention

critical for women of all ages. Thankfully, with the

invention of digital mammography, doctors can detect breast

cancer much earlier than ever before.

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Distribution Date and Time: 2010-04-08 10:15:00

Written By: Steve Deblorn

Copyright: 2010

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Digital Mammography 101 - An Overview Of The Future Of Mammograms

Copyright © 2010 Steve Deblorn

Care Stream Health

http://www.carestreamhealth.com/

Breast cancer has become a real threat to all women. According to

the National Cancer Institute, 12.7 percent of females born today

will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point during their

lifetime. This number continues to increase, making breast cancer

awareness and prevention critical for women of all ages.

Thankfully, with the invention of digital mammography, doctors

can detect breast cancer much earlier than ever before.

Unlike traditional mammograms, which use a film cassette, digital

mammography utilizes a system that is equipped with a digital

receptor, thereby providing faster and more accurate results. It

is incredibly important to understand the risks of breast cancer,

because knowledge is prevention. Awareness of this often deadly

disease is becoming much more widespread, and organizations are

spreading the word about how to prevent - as well as look for

signs of - breast cancer.

A Few Risk Factors for Breast Cancer

* As women age, their risk for breast cancer increases.

* Up to 10 percent of breast cancer cases are hereditary.

* A woman who has had breast cancer in the past is at a greater

risk of contracting the disease again.

* A woman's race can play a part in developing breast cancer.

* If a woman has dense breast tissue, she is at greater risk of

developing the disease.

* Women who are overweight or obese, do not exercise, or consume

alcohol regularly are at a higher risk of getting breast cancer.

Digital Mammography vs. Traditional Mammography

The world may very well be switching to a digital era, but there

was indeed a time when film was the best option. This holds true

for standard mammograms. Using an X-ray cassette, traditional

mammograms record images on film. The radiologist then analyzes

the film by using what is called a light box, and later storing

it in the office archives.

Digital mammography captures an image of the breast by way of an

electronic X-ray detector. This detector translates the picture

into a digital image, and the radiologist views it on the

computer screen. The benefit of digital mammography is the fact

that images can be enlarged and brightened, and the contrast can

be modified, thus allowing the radiologist to easily distinguish

specific areas.

Some critics of digital mammography believe it is equivalent to

standard mammography in discovering cancer of the breast. While

early stages of digital mammograms did not reveal a considerable

improvement over film mammography, experts are working diligently

to make noteworthy advancements. Supporters of digital

mammography recognize that the new technology is still in early

development, and even still, it has proven to emit lower doses of

radiation and better detect abnormalities than standard

mammography.

As digital mammography continues to advance, radiologists believe

it will have many more advantages over film mammography,

including a better distinction between breast tissue that is

non-dense and breast tissue that is dense; quicker acquisition of

images; faster exams; image manipulation that allows for a more

precise identification of cancer; and the ability to send out

images over a network or phone lines to additional physicians.

If you'd like to learn more about digital mammography, contact

your physician today. Breast cancer affects millions of women

every year, but it doesn't have to affect you. With the right

prevention techniques - and a lot of knowledge - you can enjoy

good health for a lifetime.

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Steve Deblorn writes about a variety of health topics,

especially those related to technology. He is currently

interested in the technology behind digital mammography

(http://www.carestreamhealth.com/digital-mammo.html) and digital

radiography (http://www.carestreamhealth.com/dr-solutions.html).

Learn more at: http://www.carestreamhealth.com/