Betty Torricelli Institute for Breast Care

3D Screening Mammography for All
We use 3D mammography for all patients who come to us for breast screening. Also called digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT), this technology is more sensitive than conventional 2D mammography for detecting breast cancer, especially for women with dense breasts and even for women with fatty breasts. DBT is associated with fewer false positives (breast findings that turn out to be benign). Your test results are usually available within 24 hours.

Breast Ultrasound and MRI
Mammography is the standard of care for breast imaging, but sometimes we use other tests to supplement mammography. Ultrasound uses sound waves to image the breast and can provide additional screening information. We offer breast ultrasound at the main campus, so our doctors can be present to review the results and discuss them with you that day.

MRI is a highly sensitive imaging method we may also use in conjunction with mammography to screen women who have an elevated risk of breast cancer. MRI does not use x-rays to image the breast.

How Often Do I Need a Mammogram?
Our doctors advise you to have your first screening mammogram at age 40 and to continue having a mammogram each year afterward. If you have an elevated risk of cancer due to your personal or family medical history, you may be advised to begin screening sooner. Speak with your doctor to learn what is best for you.

How Can I Benefit from 3D Mammography?
All patients receiving screening mammograms at Hackensack University Medical Center’s Betty Torricelli Institute for Breast Care undergo 3D mammography—an advance over conventional 2D imaging, which may miss small breast cancers and calcifications. 3D mammography offers:

• Greater accuracy in pinpointing the size, shape, and location of breast abnormalities.
• Fewer unnecessary breast biopsies or additional tests.
• Greater likelihood of detecting multiple breast tumors, which occur in 15 percent of people with breast cancer.

The breast is often composed of pockets of dense tissue surrounded by fat which may appear as overlapping tissue on the single flattened image produced using 2D mammography. As a result, 2D imaging may obscure small breast abnormalities. In contrast, during 3D mammography, multiple images of the breast are taken from different angles, minimizing the impact of overlapping breast tissue and yielding a more accurate image. The radiation exposure is similar to that of a traditional mammogram.

Not all breast imaging centers offer 3D mammography. The Betty Torricelli Institute for Breast Cancer is one of the few places in the United States that offers this advanced imaging method to all women who come for breast cancer screening.