SRC has installed the first 3D mammography system to serve the breast imaging needs of women in Salem and the surrounding communities.

The benefits of 3D mammography include:

• Detection of breast cancers 15 months earlier than conventional 2D mammography
• Callback exams to obtain additional views are reduced by 40%
• Identifies 41% more invasive cancers than conventional mammography alone.

The difference between 3D mammography and conventional mammography is that an x-ray arm sweeps in a slight arc over the breast, taking multiple breast images in just seconds using a very low dose of radiation that is comparable to a 2D mammogram and well within the FDA guidelines.  Unlike the single flat image of conventional mammography, 3D images can be viewed in one millimeter layers where fine details are more visible and no longer hidden by surrounding tissues.

Salem Radiology delayed implementation of 3D mammography until the extensive research published by imaging researchers established 3D as superior to current imaging techniques.  This has been confirmed in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) which clinically supports the transition to 3D technology.

If you would like your next mammogram to be a 3D mammogram, we are now scheduling for the latter part of January, 2017.  Salem Radiology accepts women who are not experiencing any unusual breast symptoms  to self refer for an annual screening mammogram.