A new technology called digital mammography shows great promise in the fight against breast cancer.

Because the primary goal has always been to deliver the highest quality care to our patients, Oakes Community Hospital has added digital mammography to our list of diagnostic services. DMS, a mobile imaging company will provide weekly digital mammograms at OCH.

Digital mammography uses computers and specially designed digital detectors to produce an image that can be displayed on a monitor, transmitted and stored electronically.

Having a digital mammogram is like having a “regular” mammogram. Both use compression and x-rays to create images of the breast. However, a digital mammogram produces images on a monitor in a matter of seconds. With digital mammography, the radiologist reviews electronic images of the breast using special high resolution monitors.

The radiologist can adjust the brightness, change contrast and “zoom in” for close ups of areas of interest. A main benefit of digital mammography is the ability to manipulate those same images. Because these images are electronic they can be easily transmitted across a network, easily stored, copied without loss of information, both transmitted and received easily which eliminates the dependence on only one set of images.

Breast cancer will affect an average of one in eight women sometime in their lifetime and is the second most cause of cancer related deaths in women. Studies have proved that early detection is vital to successfully treat breast cancer.

Mammograms are vital in the early detection of breast cancer as they can detect changes in the breast that can be early signs of cancer, but changes that are to small or subtle to be felt. Mammography provides the ability to detect cancer at earlier stages.

In honor of Breast Awareness Month and the October 8th start date for Digital Mammography services, Oakes Community Hospital is planning to perform non referred studies (meaning that women do not need to have a physician’s order to schedule a mammogram). Anyone wishing to have a digital mammogram done may call the OCH Radiology Department at 701-742-3619.