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Breast Diagnostics
At Highline Medical Imaging we understand that comprehensive breast care is very important to patients. We offer our patients a caring environment as well as state-of-the-art medical equipment and highly skilled staff.
We are proud to provide patients with a team approach to healthcare. Our technologists and radiologists work in conjunction with our pathologists, surgeons, oncologists, primary care providers, nurse navigator, patients and their families to provide the best care possible for each individual patient.
Breast Diagnostic services at Highline Medical Center include:
Mammography
Mammography plays a vital role in the early detection of breast cancer. Current guidelines from the American Medical Association and the American College of Radiology recommend that all women get an annual mammogram beginning at age 40, because mammography can show changes in the breast up to two years before a patient can feel them. For more information on mammography guidelines, please visit American Cancer Society.
Highline Medical Imaging provides digital mammography for all patients. In addition, two different radiologists, as well as the iCAD SecondLook, a computer-aided detection system that increases the accuracy of breast cancer screening by analyzing the films, read each mammogram to provide patients with the highest level of accuracy.
Preparation for a mammogram:
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Do not schedule your mammogram for the week before your period, as breast can be tender at this time. The best time to schedule your appointment is the week after your period.
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When scheduling your appointment, make sure to inform the scheduler of any prior breast surgeries, hormone use, or a family or personal history of breast cancer.
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Do not wear deodorant, lotion, powder, or perfume on the day of your exam.
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Describe any breast symptoms or problems to the technologist prior to the exam. The team of technologists at Highline Medical Imaging has over 100 years of combined mammography experience and are happy to answer any questions you might have concerning your mammogram, the procedure, or when your results will be available.
How does a mammogram work?
The breast is exposed to a very small dose of radiation to produce an image of the tissue inside of the breast. Breast tissue is very dense; therefore a mammography unit is designed to increase the quality of the pictures without increasing the radiation. The breast is placed in a special detector by the mammography technologist and a paddle is used to compress the breast against the detector to produce even images at various angles. The images are then created digitally and sent to the radiologists to review. The entire procedure should take about 15 minutes.
Breast Ultrasound
The primary use of breast ultrasound today is to help diagnose breast abnormalities detected by a physician during a physical exam and to characterize potential abnormalities seen on a mammogram. Ultrasound imaging can help to determine if an abnormality is solid (which may be a non-cancerous lump of tissue or a cancerous tumor) or fluid-filled (such as a benign cyst). Ultrasound can also help show additional features of the abnormal area.
Ultrasound is also used to assist a physician in performing a biopsy. When an ultrasound examination cannot characterize the nature of a breast abnormality, a physician may choose to perform an ultrasound-guided biopsy. Because ultrasound provides real-time images, it is often used to guide biopsy procedures.
Ultrasound-guidance can be used to assist physicians in obtaining tissue samples from the breast in three different biopsy procedures: a cyst aspiration, a fine needle aspiration and a core needle biopsy.
Fine Needle Aspiration
This type of biopsy uses a needle to aspirate (draw out) fluid or tissue from a breast lump.
Fine needle aspiration is performed under local anesthesia. The physician uses a fine hollow needle that is attached to a syringe to extract fluid from a cyst or cells from a solid lesion. The needle used in this procedure is very small (smaller than those used to draw blood). Several insertions are usually required to obtain an adequate sample. The procedure takes just a few minutes. If the lump cannot be felt, ultrasound may be utilized to help the physician guide the needle into the breast and to the lesion.
Core Needle Biopsy
This procedure is similar to fine needle aspiration, but the needle is larger, enabling a larger sample to be obtained. It is performed under local anesthesia and ultrasound may be used to guide the physician to the suspicious area.
Three to six needle insertions are needed to obtain an adequate sample of tissue. The tissue samples are sent to the pathology lab for evaluation. The pathologist will call the radiologist with the results. The radiologist will contact your primary care provider.
The procedure takes about 15 minutes and requires only a small bandage.
Needle Localization
A needle localization breast biopsy is done when a mammogram, breast exam, ultrasound test, or needle biopsy of your breast shows something that does not seem normal. The biopsy takes about one hour. Using mammography or ultrasound for guidance, a wire is placed next to an abnormal area in the breast. The patient is then transferred to surgery where the surgeon removes the wire and the abnormal area. The tissue removed is sent to pathology. Patients may need to limit activities for several days while the area heals.
Stereotactic Biopsy
Stereotactic breast biopsy is a safe and minimally invasive form of breast biopsy, which is used to obtain tiny samples from an abnormal breast mass for examination by a pathologist. A sample of suspect breast tissue is precisely located with a computer-guided imaging system and removed with a needle. Two x-ray images of breast tissue are taken at different angles. The computer uses the images to locate the abnormality and calculate precise coordinates. Then the computer guides the radiologist in placing a needle at the target. The biopsy specimen is sent to pathology. The procedure is completed on an outpatient basis with a minimum of discomfort and recovery time.