Having regular mammograms matter. According to the American Cancer Society, when breast cancer is caught early before it spreads, the five-year breast cancer survival rate is 99 percent or greater.*
Sutter Health invests in the latest advanced imaging technology, using exclusively digital 3D mammograms to detect breast tumors at the earliest possible stage. Four Sutter sites are designated Breast Imaging Centers of Excellence by the American College of Radiology.
Compared with traditional mammography, digital 2D and 3D mammograms use less radiation, take half the time to perform, and provide crisp, clear results within seconds. 2D and 3D mammography also offer better visibility through dense breast tissue and near the skin line and chest wall.
If screening finds a tumor, your Sutter Health network doctors and technicians can combine results from different technologies. This approach is called image fusing and gives a more complete picture of a breast tumor’s structure, location and characteristics. It can also possibly provide information on cause, severity or treatment approaches without the need for surgery.
Our advanced imaging tools include:
- 3-D Mammography (Digital Breast Tomosynthesis or DBT) — An important technology offered at many Sutter breast centers, 3D mammograms reconstruct the breast images in a similar manner to a CT scan to create a highly detailed, 3D composite picture of the breast. This is particularly helpful if you have dense breast tissue, which sometimes makes it harder to detect tumors, or if you’re at high risk for breast cancer.