Summerville Medical Center Helps Physicians Diagnose
Breast Cancer with Digital Mammography System
Trident Health System is now offering digital mammography at two of its
facilities: Summerville Medical Center and Trident Medical Center. The
innovative digital system provides outstanding image quality and clear,
highly detailed images of the breast which enables physicians to detect and
diagnose breast cancer in patients with confidence. Trident Health System's
new Senographe® DS full-field digital mammography system is the most modern
mammography equipment available to patients today.
"Now Trident Health System physicians and patients in the upper tri-county
area can have a new and powerful tool in the detection and fight against
breast cancer," said John Graber, director of medical imaging for
Summerville Medical Center. "This new, all-digital system is
revolutionizing breast care by providing our patients with state-of-the-art
mammograms that are faster, easier and more comfortable than ever before,
while providing our physicians with highly detailed images to use in the
diagnosis."
According to the American Cancer Society, the year 2007 brought 180,510 new
breast cancer diagnoses, an estimated 2,600 of those were women in South
Carolina. "This new digital technology will help us provide the most
advanced care for our patients by providing clear, high-detailed breast
images, which is the first step towards an accurate diagnosis and getting a
patient on the proper treatment plan to good health," said Graber.
The Senographe DS is a full-field digital mammography system designed to
help Trident Health System provide comprehensive mammography patient care -
from screening and diagnosis, to interventional procedures. Plus, the
system has a patient-centric design and intuitive controls that allow the
technologists who perform the exams to focus on the patients, making the
mammography exam an easier and more comfortable experience. For the
physician, it provides greater flexibility in viewing the exam and
performing biopsies.
Trident Health System's Senographe DS is equipped with computer aided
detection (CAD) software. CAD acts as a radiologist's "second pair of
eyes" when reading a mammogram. Similar to a spellchecker system on a
personal computer, this technology has the potential to detect findings
that might otherwise be overlooked during the review process, thus
improving the opportunity for cancer detection. CAD technology is
especially effective in identifying microcalcifications in the breast, some
of which can indicate a malignant process.
The Trident Breast Care Center at Trident Medical Center provides a variety
of support programs in addition to leading edge diagnostics, advanced
surgical and radiation technologies. For more information about the
Trident Breast Care Center, including support groups, wellness programs,
access to cancer-specific updates and information, please visit
www.tridenthealthsystem.com or contact Trident HealthFinders at
843.797.FIND.