eGoodHealthTips.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.

Article previously published here.

…

Steve Deblorn writes about a variety of health topics, especially those related to technology. He is currently interested in the technology behind digital mammography and digital radiography. Learn more at: http://www.carestreamhealth.com/

Read more articles written by Steve Deblorn

Other Pregnancy related articles