New breast cancer screening technology eliminates pain, more precise than mammogram
(KYMA, KECY/SNN News) - 75% of women don’t go back for a second mammogram because of the discomfort. Now there’s a brand new, painless machine for breast cancer screenings. There are only three in the country, and one of them is right here on the Suncoast.
Gerald E. Grubbs, MD, calls the Koning 3D breast imaging machine the most compassionate way to screen for breast cancer.
“Women are so much tougher than guys it just amazes me," Dr. Grubbs of Sarasota Interventional Radiology said.
Dr. Grubbs says with mammograms, the combination of dense breast tissue and compression can lead to inaccuracies and pain.
"What happens a lot of the time is you get pseudo lesions; it looks like there’s a mass in there, so then they have to come back and have additional views done," Grubbs said.
This 3D isotropic machine eliminates the follow-up.
“It’s like a BOGO; its like two for one," Grubbs said. "It’s like getting your screening and also getting your diagnostic exam; you’re never gonna have to have a call back. If you’re coming back to see us it’s because you need to have a biopsy."
Unlike traditional breast biopsies, Dr. Grubbs says women will be sedated.
“I can’t imagine how a woman would stay awake and do that. You can see from the table in there, that puts you in a natural prone position," Grubbs said.
Just like in the screening, a woman’s breast rests right in the center hole. Dr. Grubbs goes underneath the surface to perform a biopsy.
“There’s nothing unpleasant about the experience," Grubbs said. "For screening mammograms, they typically take about 30 minutes to do. For this you’re in and out of this room in barely over five minutes."
Dr. Grubbs says there's never been a better time to introduce this life saving technology, not just during breast cancer awareness month, but during the pandemic.
The 3D isotropic breast imaging costs less than a traditional mammogram and is covered by insurance. There’s also one located in Rochester, New York, and one in Knoxville, Tennessee.
