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Simply being a woman puts you at some risk for breast cancer.
Mammography and regular breast exams can help find existing and prevent future cancers.
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According to the World Health Organization, more than 1.2 women people worldwide will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year. The key to surviving breast cancer is early detection and treatment.
Early detection of breast cancer helps reduce the need for therapeutic treatment and minimize pain and suffering, allowing women to continue leading happy, productive lives. |
Yearly mammography screening saves lives by detecting cancer early, when it is most treatable.
The Clinical Challenge
 "Twenty to forty percent of early-stage breast cancers go undetected at the time of screening."
Harvey JA, Fajardo LL, Innis CA. Previous mammograms in patients with impalpable breast carcinoma: retrospective vs blinded interpretation. Am J Roentgenol. 1993;161:1167-1172.
Interpreting mammograms is a very challenging job. Normal breast tissue varies widely among women and can even vary for the same woman over time.
The combination of viewing a large number of cases, radiologist fatigue, the complex image structure of the breast on a mammogram and the subtle nature of early signs of the disease can result in false negative readings. In fact, studies show that as many as one third of the undetected cancers are missed as a result of observational oversights - regardless of the experience or expertise of the doctor.
MNAP offers a variety of services to diagnose breast cancer, including Mammography, Breast Ultrasound, Breast MRI, and Breast Biopsy.
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Breast Cancer
Did you know? Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths after lung cancer. The American Cancer Society estimates that 211,000 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed this year and 1 out of every 7 women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime. If detected early, the survival rate for women diagnosed with breast cancer is as high as 95%.
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Mammography
Mammograms can detect changes in the breasts years before a patient or their physician can feel them. They are one of the best methods for the early detection of breast cancer, when it is most curable, and play a vital role in the fight against it.
Screening mammograms are used to detect changes in the breasts of women who have no signs or symptoms of breast cancer. Diagnostic mammograms are utilized to evaluate patients with abnormal clinical findings, such as a lump or mass in a breast that has been found by a patient or a doctor.
Mammograms are recommended if you:
- Have a mother or a sister who had breast cancer
- Had your first menstrual period before you were 12
- Stopped having periods after you were 50
- Never had children or had a child when you were over 30
- Have had radiation treatments to your chest area
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Breast Ultrasound
Ultrasound is a procedure that uses reflected sound waves to produce pictures of the internal structures of the breast. Breast Ultrasound is primarily used to help diagnose breast abnormalities detected by a physician during a physical exam or seen on mammography. Ultrasound is safe, non-invasive and completely painless.
Breast Ultrasound is indicated for:
- Determining whether a breast lump is fluid-filled (a cyst) or a solid mass
- Evaluating dense breasts or breasts with silicone implants
- Assessing breast implants for rupture or leakage
- Pregnant women, who should not to be exposed to radiation that is produced by mammograms
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Breast MRI
MNAP Diagnostic Center is excited to offer the latest breast imaging technique, the Breast MRI. Breast MRI has shown the ability to detect lesions in breasts that may be too small to be detected by mammography and can also successfully image dense breast tissue, such as found on young women. It is also the most accurate diagnostic test for evaluation of the integrity of breast implants and possible complications, such as ruptured implants.
Breast MRI is a completely safe, non-invasive procedure that does not exposure the patient to any radiation. In addition, the breast need not be flattened as in a mammogram.
Breast MRI is indicated to:
- Evaluate abnormalities detected by mammography
- Screen for cancer in women who have implants or scar tissue that a mammogram may not be able to image accurately
- Distinguish between scar tissue and recurrent tumors
- Assess multiple tumor locations
- Check the progress of chemotherapy
- Look for multiple tumors prior to breast conservation surgery
- Determine whether detected cancer has spread further in the breast or into the chest wall
- Determine how much cancer has spread beyond the surgical site after a breast biopsy or lumpectomy
- Provide additional information on a diseased breast to make treatment decisions
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The ImageChecker® Solution
"Use of the ImageChecker® system could result in earlier detection of up to 23.4% of the cancers currently detected with screening mammography in those women who had a prior screening mammogram 9-24 months earlier."
-FDA-approved claim
The ImageChecker system is the first FDA approved computer-aided detection system (CAD) for mammography. ImageChecker analyzes medical images using proprietary software that highlights areas that contain features associated with cancer.
The ImageChecker system acts like a "spellchecker" for medical images, performing over one billion calculations per film. It is designed to assist radiologists in reducing the number of false-negative readings by drawing attention to areas that warrant a second review.
The resulting reduction in observational oversights aids radiologists with earlier detection of breast cancers.
MNAP Diagnostic Center is proud to offer this innovative technology to patients in our community.
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Doctor Margaret Levy
 Margaret Levy, MD is well respected and renowned as a pioneer in image guided vacuum assisted breast biopsies. She is available to discuss your concerns and help you make the right decisions about your health, empowering you with the confidence of knowing that you are in good hands.
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Doctor Richard Helzner
 Richard Helzner, MD Supervising Radiologist at MNAP Diagnostic Center specializes in disease of the breasts. With more than 30 years of experience, he is recognized as one of Philadelphia’s preeminent providers of diagnostic radiology and women’s health services.
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