Advanced breast cancer screening at NCH

Reporter: Amy Oshier
Published: Updated:

Breast Cancer Awareness Month was launched in 1985. The American Cancer Society designated October as a month to highlight screening with the hope of finding the disease at the earliest stage possible.

Since then, technology has played a huge role. A local imaging center has the latest tools under one roof.

Since the early days of mammography, detecting breast cancer has come a long way, empowering women to take charge of their health.

At Proscan Women’s Imaging at NCH, it’s easy to do. Everything is right there.

“We went from 2D mammography, which was just a regular picture, and that was the mammogram, so then we added 3D,” said Dr. Sergio Dromi, radiologist, director of imaging and Proscan at NCH. “3D is basically moving around like a panoramic picture, and after 3D, then we are now adding contrast-enhanced mammography, and then MRI is getting faster with our review protocols, which is also excellent to find these cancers.”

There are many high-tech options these days. Dr. Stephen Pomeranz, the founder of Proscan, showed us around.

“I don’t believe there’s a dedicated three-tesla MRI for women in the United States, so that that is unique,” said Pomeranz.

Used solely to look for breast cancer, this MRI plays a significant role.

“If you have a normal MRI, there’s a 99% chance you do not have breast cancer, and that’s a fantastic thing for a woman walking out of a women’s center,” Pomeranz said.

The center also uses ultrasound devices and machines for different kinds of biopsies, so if a mass is found, a patient can get a sample taken before they go home. All of this adds up to finding the first hint of cancer.

“Catching the cancer early will help the patient to get less aggressive treatments. It’s about saving lives and quality of life,” Dromi said.

You can support your neighbors in the fight against breast cancer this month at the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk in Southwest Florida.

It’s Saturday, Oct. 26, at the Paradise Coast sports complex in Collier County. Learn more here.

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