The latest innovation in breast cancer detection – 3D mammography – is now available at St. Mary's Hospital and St. Mary's Outpatient Diagnostic Center. This new technology dramatically increases accuracy compared to 2D mammography, detecting more invasive cancers and reducing false alarms.

"The difference is amazing," said Jeff Brown, St. Mary's Director of Radiology and Cardiology Services. "The 3D system detects 41 percent more invasive cancers, but also reduces callbacks by up to 40 percent. That's great because it means we can detect more dangerous cancers while simultaneously reducing the number of women who have to go through additional testing when there's actually nothing wrong."

St. Mary's offers the Hologic Genius 3D Mammography system at the Women's Imaging Center at the hospital, 1230 Baxter St., Athens, and also at St. Mary's Outpatient Diagnostic Imaging Center, 2470 Daniells Bridge Road, Athens, just off the Oconee Connector near Ga. 316 and Loop 10. Testing and training are now underway at St. Mary's Sacred Heart Hospital in Lavonia, with patient appointments starting in early February.

"Having the Genius system available at all three locations expands our available appointment times and allows women to choose the location that is most convenient for them," Brown said. In addition to weekday appointments, Saturday appointments are available at the Athens hospital, where Saturday appointments also are available for procedures such as CT, MRI, ultrasound, radiography and nuclear medicine.

"We know it can be hard for women to break away from work and home," Brown said. "But with a lifetime risk of 1-in-8 for breast cancer, screening mammograms are too important to miss. We offer Saturday appointments to help our patients get the care they need, when they need it."

Here is why the Genius 3D system is superior to 2-dimensional mammography. In a 2D mammogram, all the tissue of the breast is included in one image. This can sometimes produce unclear results, especially in women with dense breast tissue.  In the Genius 3D system, the breast is imaged in layers. According to Hologic, more than 100 clinical studies have shown that this technology improves clarity, reduces the risk of missing an actual cancer, and also reduces the need for return visits to clarify suspicious findings.

"The 3D system allows our radiologists to screen for breast cancer with greater accuracy in women of all ages and regardless of breast density," Brown said. "It does this with a low dose of radiation that is comparable to 2D mammography and well below the levels the FDA has set for patient safety."

Appointments are now available, often on a next-day basis. In the Athens area, women can schedule their mammogram online at www.stmarysathens.org or by calling 706.389.2700. For appointments at Sacred Heart Hospital, call 706.356.7808.

A doctor's order is not required, but St. Mary's will need to know which doctor to send your results to. If you don't have a doctor, St. Mary's can help you find one. St. Mary's accepts most major forms of insurance, as well as Medicare, Medicaid, and self-pay. 3D mammography is covered by Medicare and a growing number of private insurers.