|
|
| |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Puzzle of Breast Cancer Diagnosis
by: Lisa R. Weinstock, MD
My women's imaging practice includes a large number of patients at high risk for breast cancer.
I always tell patients that diagnosing breast cancer is like a puzzle and we need different tools to put the pieces together. Mammography has long been the gold standard, but it is not perfect and not always enough.
I have long been a proponent of breast ultrasound as an adjunct. On mammography, breast tissue and cancers are both white. In women with dense breast tissue, which means a lot of white tissue, a cancer is virtually impossible to find. On ultrasound, cancers are grey and breast tissue is white, which makes the cancer easier to see. MRI has become a valuable tool to diagnosis, but it is also imperfect. The sensitivity is so great that false positives are common. In addition, claustrophobia from an MRI machine is unbearable for many patients – and so is the cost.
Last year, I began using breast-specific gamma imaging (BSGI), a form of molecular imaging. With BSGI, patients receive an injection of a radioactive tracer, similar to the kind used in cardiac stress tests, and then a dedicated breast gamma camera takes pictures. Malignant tumors show up as “hot spots” or dark images.
BSGI is an excellent tool when used on patients with inconclusive mammograms, as it captures the behavior of cells and not just the appearance. Patients sit up for the injection and exam, with only mild compression of the breast to hold it in place.
Recently, BSGI has come under scrutiny for unnecessarily exposing patients to radiation. However, when the risk-to-reward ratio is examined, BSGI emerges as a winner. Since it is used for patients with questionable mammograms, and not as a general screening tool, the benefits far outweigh the risks.
I have used BSGI on several patients and found additional cancers in some cases, and in other patients I saw no cancers where I thought I would find them. The training and expertise of a specialist in breast imaging is still the best weapon to diagnose breast cancer. Well-trained eyes and experience can be the deciding factor in avoiding too much treatment or delivering too little.
Lisa R. Weinstock, MD, is founder and breast imaging specialist at Women’s Digital Imaging of Ridgewood, N.J. Direct comments and questions to editorial@rt-image.com.
To download a printable copy of this article, click here.
About Women’s Digital Imaging of Ridgewood
Women’s Digital Imaging (WDI) specializes in detecting and diagnosing conditions that affect women including breast cancer, gynecologic diseases and osteoporosis. WDI gives patients the accuracy of the most advanced diagnostic technology including Digital Mammography and Breast Specific Gamma Imaging, and exceptional care from compassionate, highly trained personnel. WDI is the first medical practice in New Jersey to screen select patients for breast cancer with Breast Specific Gamma Imaging (BSGI) an alternative to MRI that is less costly, more comfortable and results in 50% fewer false positives. WDI minimizes the anxiety women feel by providing timely appointments, comfortable surroundings and immediate evaluation following exams. Follow up testing, when needed, is done as quickly as possible, often the same day.
For more information about Women’s Digital Imaging of Ridgewood, contact:
Lisa Weinstock M.D.
WDI office: 201-444-4484
E-mail: lweinstock@womensdigital.com
Betty Schwartz
WDI office: 201-444-4484
Home Office: 201-567-8113
E-mail: betty@womensdigital.com
|
| |
|
|
|
|
