3D mammography catches ‘cancer lite’ Pylarify PET/CT Clearer imaging of prostate cancer locations is possible thanks to Pylarify PET/CT scans. These scans use an imaging agent that accumulates within prostate cancer tumors. Clearer images of prostate cancer enable doctors to detect and treat tumors earlier. 3D mammography Breast tomosynthesis, also known as 3D mammography, uses low-dose X-rays to take many pictures as cross sections of the breast. These pictures are then blended into one image. This more detailed view improves accuracy and reduces false positive rates. CT lung screening Studies have shown low-dose chest CT scanning is a valuable tool for detecting lung cancer before symptoms develop — at its earliest and most treatable stages. Annual low-dose CT scans for current and former smokers may reduce the risk of lung cancer death by as much as 20%. When Vivian Robertson got a call about something irregular on her annual screening mammogram, she wasn’t too concerned. She knew callbacks were common. Using 3D mammography, the Adventist Health Portland radiology team found tiny spots of calcification impossible to feel during a physical exam. The spots were so small, radiologist Robert Scott Israel, MD, asked Vivian to come back in a few months to see if they grew. “I almost blew it off,” Vivian admits. But eight months later, she had another 3D mammogram. The spots had indeed grown and had some irregularities that concerned Dr. Israel, who scheduled her for a needle biopsy. The results came back quickly: She did, indeed, have cancer. ‘Here for you’ Dr. Israel sent Vivian to see Frances Ting, MD, a breast surgery specialist at Adventist Health Portland, to have the tiny cancer removed. Before surgery, Dr. Ting personally introduced Vivian to the entire surgical team. “Everyone in this room is here for you,” she told Vivian. “We are here to do nothing but take care of you.” With such tiny tumors, Vivian’s cancer was removed with clear margins and no sign of spread. She didn’t have to have radiation or chemotherapy. “I’m very fortunate it was small and caught early,” she reports. “It’s very tuned in to estrogen and progesterone. I just have to take an oral medication that blocks the cells from getting those hormones.” Vivian has a strong family history of breast cancer, so she was always careful to do self-exams as well as schedule her annual screenings. But she credits 3D mammography with catching her cancer early. “It’s the difference between a speed bump on the road and a sink hole,” she says. “I got diagnosed with ‘cancer lite’ thanks to 3D mammography.” High-Tech Health Adventist Health Portland’s advanced screening technology helps find and treat disease sooner. Is Better Smaller AdventistHealth.org/Portland 5
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