NGMC offering digital mammography

GAINESVILLE - Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) is now offering digital mammography services at The Imaging Center, located at 1284 Sims Street in Gainesville. The Imaging Center houses four state-of-the-art digital mammography units, the largest installation of digital mammography units in northeast Georgia, according to medical center officials.

"We are pleased to be able to add this innovative technology to our full range of advanced imaging services," says Debbie Duke, director of Imaging Services at NGMC. "It offers numerous clinical and convenience benefits to our patients."

Two months ago, Habersham County Medical Center in Demorest announced that it was offering such services.

An important advantage of digital mammography, according to officials at both hospitalis, is its ability to produce higher-quality images. The improved sharpness of the image increases the visibility of the breast, allowing for better diagnosis. With a digital scan, the radiologist can manipulate the images on the computer screen and zoom in on areas of concern.

"Digital mammography allows the radiologist to view the x-ray image more closely, zeroing in on suspicious or concerning areas, enabling them to make immediate decisions about additional images," says Julie Presley, MD, a radiologist with Gainesville Radiology Group and medical director of Women's Imaging at NGMC. "Digital mammography represents the latest in lifesaving technology."

In fact, the American College of Radiology Imaging Network (ACRIN) Digital Mammographic Imaging Screening Trial (DMIST) compared the diagnostic accuracy of digital mammography with standard film/screen mammography among a group of women without breast cancer symptoms.

The three-year study found that the accuracy of digital mammography was significantly higher than that of film mammography among women under the age of 50 years, women with dense breasts on mammography and premenopausal or perimenopausal women. The study concluded that while the overall diagnostic accuracy of digital and film mammography as a means of screening for breast cancer is similar, digital mammography is more accurate in women under the age of 50 years, women with radiographically dense breasts and premenopausal or perimenopausal women.

Another advantage of digital mammography is the fact that it produces images in a matter of seconds, taking less than half the time of traditional film-based exams. Shortened exam times help reduce anxiety for patients during what can be a disconcerting time. Also, radiologists can review the images while the patient is in the examination room, which means a reduction in call-backs to obtain additional images.

The four digital mammography units were purchased with funds from The Medical Center Foundation's Healthy Journey II Campaign.

"Healthy Journey II designated $1.5 million for the digital mammography initiative," says Nancy Colston, Executive Director of The Medical Center Foundation. "We are so pleased to see the results of this fundraising effort and to know that women throughout northeast Georgia are benefiting from this advanced technology at Northeast Georgia Medical Center."