Overview
Digital mammography
Digital mammography uses essentially the same system as conventional mammography, but the system is equipped with a digital receptor and a computer instead of a film cassette.
Digital images appear in seconds on a computer screen, revealing an exciting new world of diagnostic possibilities.
It is your strongest ally in the fight against breast cancer.
Learn about 3D digital mammography here. We offer this service throughout East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia.
Computer-aided detection (CAD)
Computer-aided detection (CAD) systems use a digitized mammographic image that can be obtained from either a conventional film mammogram or a digital mammogram.
The computer software then searches for abnormal areas of density, mass or calcification that may indicate the presence of cancer. The CAD system highlights these areas on the images, alerting the radiologist to the need for further analysis.
MRI of the breast
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a noninvasive, usually painless test that helps physicians diagnose and treat medical conditions.
MRI uses a magnetic field and a computer to produce detailed pictures of organs, soft tissues, bone and other internal body structures.
A breast MRI:
- Offers valuable information about many breast conditions that can’t be obtained by mammography or ultrasound.
- Does not replace mammography or ultrasound imaging. It is a supplemental tool for detecting and staging breast cancer and other breast abnormalities.
Ultrasound of the breast
Ultrasound is used to investigate an abnormality detected by mammography or during a physician-performed breast exam. It can quickly determine whether a lump is a cyst (sac containing fluid) or a dense mass.
Ultrasound scans are pictures created from sound waves and require no radiation. High-frequency transducers are used to examine breast tissue.
Waves from ultrasound are not known to affect adults, children or unborn children. There is no discomfort in the examination, though there might be mild pressure from the transducer.