Early detection is the best protection against breast cancer.

By taking a proactive approach to beast cancer detection through breast self-exams, discovering what is normal for you, and learning about available screening options, you can detect breast cancer at the earliest stage possible, when treatment is most successful.

Screening Mammogram

Getting a mammogram is one of the best things a woman can do to protect her health. This simple test can find breast cancers early, when they're smaller, easier to treat, and chances of survival are higher.

The American Cancer Society recommends that women age 40 and older have a mammogram every year. Women with a higher risk of breast cancer should talk with a doctor about the best early detection plan for them. This might mean starting mammograms when they are younger, having extra screening tests, or having more frequent exams.

The power of 3D mammography

Rapides Regional Medical Center offers 3D mammograms with the “Genius 3D Mammography” system. 3D mammography is a more accurate procedure in the fight against breast cancer. Greater accuracy means better breast cancer detection and a reduced chance of additional screening.

The Genius 3D Mammography is the only mammogram proven to:

  • Detect cancers 15 months earlier
  • Reduces the need for further testing by up to 40%
  • Find 41% more invasive cancers than conventional mammography alone

The 3D process is the same as a conventional 2D exam, only the results are more accurate. The technologist will position you, compress your breast and take images from different angles. There's no additional compression required with the Genius exam, and it only takes a few extra seconds.

3D exams are a more accurate exam for women of all ages, with both dense and non-dense breasts.

Genius 3D Mammography delivers a low dose of radiation, well within FDA guidelines, comparable to a 2D mammogram.

The Genius 3D Mammography exam allows doctors to examine your breast tissue layer by layer. So instead of viewing all of the complexities of your breast tissue in a flat image, as with conventional 2D mammography, fine details are more visible and no longer hidden by the tissue above or below.

Ask your doctor about the Power of 3D Mammography at Rapides Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

✱ A note on cost: As new technology becomes available, it is often normal to see delays as Medicare and private insurance companies establish reimbursement for these services. We will submit the paperwork to your insurance company for payment, but if denied, you will be responsible for any out-of-pocket costs, deductibles or copays as determined by your insurance company for the 3D mammogram.

For more information about mammography at Rapides Women’s and Children’s Hospital, call (318) 769-7048.