By LORI TUCKER
6 News Anchor/Reporter
KNOXVILLE (WATE) - Anita Rivera is getting a new, breakthrough breast cancer screening at Parkwest Comprehensive Breast Center.
The facility recently started offering Tomosynthesis, which provides a cutting edge 3D view of the breast that can find cancer easier and earlier than traditional 2D mammography.
"I could even see just from sitting from the patient perspective the clarity on the mammogram. It was much more detailed," Rivera said.
The technology takes images from multiple angles and uses computer processing to build a 3D image that radiologists like Dr. Amanda Squires can manipulate to find tiny cancers hidden behind normal tissue.
"It's rotating on an arc so it's taking multiple pictures of the breast, as opposed to just the one picture from each plane," Dr. Squires explained.
Anita has had two scares after a traditional mammogram: two lumps that fortunately turned out to be benign.
However, because she and other women with dense breast tissue face up to six times the risk of breast cancer as those with normal tissue, Anita doesn't want to take any chances.
Currently, most insurance companies do not pay for Tomosynthesis. Legislation is underway to try to change that in several states, including Tennessee.
At Parkwest Comprehensive Breast Center, it costs the patient $125 out of pocket.
Tomosynthesis offers a 3D view of the breast that can find cancer easier and earlier than traditional 2D mammography.
