PORT ANGELES — The digital mammography age has arrived at Olympic Medical Center.
The Port Angeles hospital and two of its satellite clinics went live Thursday with the breast cancer screening and diagnostic technology that medical personnel said hones detection so that cancers can be found earlier.
“Today is the start of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and what better way to celebrate the fight against breast cancer than to unveil this valuable technology to women in our community,” said Deby King, OMC’s director of diagnostic imaging.
First on North Peninsula
The digital machines are the first on the North Olympic Peninsula.
“At this point we may not be able to eliminate breast cancer, but we can make a difference by finding breast cancer early — when a lump is the size of a small seed versus the size of a golf ball,” King said.
If detected early, the five-year survival rate for breast cancer is 96 percent, according to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.
The survival rate for late-stage breast cancer is 50 percent.
In May, the OMC commissioners voted 6-0 to approve the $1.63 million replacement of five mammography machines with three digital versions.
First Federal made a $375,000 corporate donation through its Community Dividend Fund to support digital mammography at OMC and provide free screenings for women who qualify.
“Women who have been screened before will notice the mammography technologist will be in the room with them throughout the exam, and the actual appointment will seem shorter, since we no longer must go look at films,” King said.
“The image of the patient’s breast is right there in the room, and can be viewed immediately.”
King and her staff have spent the last month installing the equipment at the Olympic Medical Park Medical Services Building, 840 N. Fifth Ave., Sequim; the Olympic Medical Imaging Center, 1102 E. Front St., Port Angeles; and Olympic Medical Center, 939 E. Caroline St., Port Angeles.
Versatile features
“With digital mammography, radiologists can take advantage of high-tech, versatile features that aren’t available with film,” said Dr. Lilly Rezvani, OMC radiologist, in a prepared statement.
“Because of the digital nature of the images we can manipulate the images electronically to create better visibility of tissue and anomalies, particularly in the dense breast tissue we see in younger women.
“We can make the image darker or lighter, we can zoom in or out and we can share it electronically if we’d like to consult with our peers in different locations.
OMC will hold a digital mammography open house on Nov. 4 from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Olympic Medical Imaging Center.
“We are very excited to have these new tools available to us,” Rezvani said.
Women over 40 are encouraged to get annual screenings.
“Women should not delay in receiving their mammograms,” King said. “Our mammography technologists work hard to make the procedure as comfortable and pain-free as possible.”
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
