Jodi Parrish
Doctor's have an innovative and more effective way of treating breast cancer patients, it's called gama imaging, and it's helping doctors detect cancer earlier in patients. 7's Frances Rivera has more.
It's a new tool in the fight against breast cancer.
It's called breast specific gama imaging, and it's used the same way they can look at the heart, only this can target specific tissue and identify early stage cancer sooner.
Dr. Betsy Angelakis, M.D./Chief of Breast imaging/Lahey Clinic
"We inject the same solution for cardiac but instead we can use this specific camera to look at the breast".
It works using imaging to find hard to detect lesions and cancerous tissue that other imaging may miss.
Dr. Betsy Angelakis, M.D./Chief of Breast imaging/Lahey Clinic
"Cancer cells act differently than normal cells and will light up on this test and gives us more specific information on cancer if it were there".
Which was good news for 49 year old Melissa Mills of Lincoln, her annual mammogram gave doctors cause for concern when irregular shadows appeared.
Melissa Mills/Breast imaging patient
"I had a mammogram in early October and they told me there was cloudiness and wanted to check it out".
But thanks to the breast specific gamma imaging, they were able to get a more accurate read.
Melissa Mills/Breast imaging patient
"Three weeks later I had the Dilon scan and they told me the results instantly and it was good news and that helped".
And what was more, she was able to receive the good news right at that visit.
Melissa Mills/Breast Imaging patient
"I thought I'd have to wait and talk to my doctor, and wait, but doctor Angelakis told me immediately"
Melissa is cancer free and won't need to return until next year for her annual exam.
Breast imaging does not replace standard mammograms. Doctors say it's still important to have an annual exam.
However, the gamma imaging does offer a greater chance of identifying early stage cancers that a traditional mammogram might not detect.
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