Tuesday, April 10, 2012

3D Mammogram~

Your looking at it... This is the newest way to have your mammogram done.  It takes 3D pictures and the pictures are taken in "slices" so that you can see the breast in all different angles.  Women are starting to have a choice if they want to be screened with this machine.  Some places will charge an extra $35.00 and others $50.00.  I am of the opinion that it is the best $35.00-$50.00 you could ever spend if it gives you a more accurate picture of what is going on.  We need to be aware of our bodies & early detection is imperative.  Make sure that you are doing your monthly exams and know your body.  Take the time...  Do your exams, and make the appointment to get your mammogram, it can make all the difference.  Little by little & step by step we are getting closer to finding a way to make breast cancer extinct. 
 Just a little, friendly reminder... Lisa is giving away a TuTu Cinch bag to anyone who has had their annual clinical breast exam, annual mammogram, are currently fighting breast cancer, or had tests ( pretty much anything done to them that promoted their own breast health during the months of March or April! ) She is, also including for the survivors a chance to win the bag if your cancerversary falls in the months of March or April. Her goal here is to promote breast health.  So please, share this with everybody and anybody you know!  Lisa bleeds PINK and is a True Pink Peep!  She would do anything she could to bring about awareness and eradicate breast cancer forever.  Lisa is a comitted Pink Warrior and I am honored to be able to call her my friend.  Because of Lisa & others like her we will find a cure to breast cancer!  To enter the drawing which will be held on May 5th, please send her an email with your contact information. All entries must be submitted by May 4th. Lisa's email address is Lisa@IPINKICAN.net. Last time she did this she had entries all over the place. She was afraid that some may have been  overlooked or missed because not everyone contacted her via her web site.  So, with that being said... From here forward, she is asking that people PLEASE send their entry to her email. The next contest is going to be even bigger so stay tuned for more information on it.  If you want to see Lisa's other creations, you can go to atti-tulle.com or click HERE.  
XoXo

3D mammogram newest weapon against breast cancer

March 7, 2011 6:57 PM
By
Jennifer Ashton
Mammograms are already one of the most important tools in the fight against breast cancer.
About 40 million of them are performed in the U.S. each year, detecting between 80 and 90 percent of all breast cancers.
Now, there is a new advance. A woman in Boston became the first American to have a mammogram using 3D technology on Monday.
CBS News medical correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton reports that the new 3D technology may help doctors more accurately detect and diagnose breast cancer.
Five years ago, it took several mammograms and weeks of waiting before Laura Lang was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 50. Now, she's hoping the new 3D test is better.
"This machine for me is such a huge advance," Lang said. "It's something everyone should know about."
Doctors say the new test opens doors for better diagnoses.
"We have the ability to not only just look at the breast but actually look through and around structures we weren't able to see before," said Dr. Elizabeth Rafferty, director of breast imaging at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Compared to the traditional 2D image, studies found it increases a doctor's ability to spot cancer by 7 percent. The 3D mammogram also reduces the number of women called back when a result is unclear.
"It's going to help us both find more cancers and decrease the number of false positive callbacks so that's huge. It makes the test, overall, more accurate,"  Raffery said.
However, some critics say it's more hype than help. The 3D mammogram uses more radiation than a traditional mammogram. It's expected to be more expensive, though the cost won't be set until it's widely available.
"Most importantly it hasn't been shown to save lives," said Fran Visco, president of the National Breast Cancer Coalition. "We love new technology, and we keep piling it on without a clear understanding of what the benefits are, and without really looking at what's the long term cost in women's lives."
The 3D mammogram is only available at Mass General, but is expected to be introduced at other medical centers nationwide this year.
Right now the technology is approved by the FDA but not yet recommended by major cancer groups or women's cancer groups.
© 2011 CBS Interactive Inc.. All Rights Reserved.

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