News Releases

Digital Mammography Coming Soon to Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Hospital

Houston, Texas, October 12, 2005 – A recent government study found that digital mammography is better than traditional methods for detecting breast cancer in younger women. The new technology will be available beginning Oct. 24 at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Hospital.

In a study of nearly 50,000 women, the National Cancer Institute found that digital mammography diagnosed more cancers than standard mammograms in premenopausal women, those younger than 50 and those with dense breast tissue. The American Cancer Society recommended that women in these categories seek digital mammograms where available.

“This is the first study to show a distinct advantage of digital mammography over conventional film-screen mammography,” said Dan Cowman, M.D., dedicated breast radiologist at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Breast & Bone Health Center.

Digital mammograms offer significant advantages. Images are available immediately, and can be enhanced, stored digitally and transmitted instantaneously to a physician's office or other facilities. These images are more detailed and can be acquired more quickly, reducing testing time.

Digital mammograms at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Hospital are reviewed by a dedicated breast radiologist and screened using computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) software. CAD alerts radiologists to take a closer look at areas that may be abnormal.

“Part of the advantage is having a second set of ‘eyes' reviewing the images,” Dr. Cowman said. “CAD is good at picking up subtle calcifications that are sometimes difficult to see even with the trained human eye.”

These state-of-the-art features are part of the new Breast & Bone Health Center at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Hospital. The 7,500-square-foot facility is located in the hospital's newest medical office building. With a dedicated mammographer at the center, follow-up testing for women who receive abnormal mammogram results can be completed in a single day. Onsite additional tests may include breast ultrasound, needle biopsy and double-breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which is twice as sensitive as mammogram and ultrasound at detecting breast cancer. The new MRI unit includes a powerful 3T magnet, one of only a few in Texas , which is twice as strong as traditional magnets.

For more information, contact Media Relations.