Ministry of Health has determined that all women between the ages 50-70 must undergo mammography screening
The Ministry of Health has determined that all women in Israel aged between 50-70 must undergo mammography screening every two years in order to detect breast cancer. Early detection can often save lives. Laniado Hospital’s Mammography Institute has the best medical equipment available today including mammography, ultrasound, and Mammotome machines. In the very near future it will also acquire an MRI device.
When one of the examinations reveals a lesion in the breast, it is often necessary to perform a biopsy to determine whether or not the growth is malignant. The biopsy is performed by the insertion of a needle in order to remove and diagnose a sample of the suspicious tissue. The hospital has recently acquired the elastography medical imaging software program that improves ultrasound capability by examining the elasticity of lumps detected in the breast and differentiating benign from malignant lesions. "Happily, we know that the results of about 70% of the biopsies prove to be benign,” says Dr. Joseph Deri, director of Laniado Hospital’s Mammography Institute. "However, in order to determine this, it is necessary to perform a biopsy - an invasive surgical procedure that is best to avoid, if possible. The elastography program enables me to determine whether in fact a biopsy is needed. During the ultrasound examination, I examine the elasticity of the suspicious finding and obtain immediate test results. Since malignant lesions are rigid compared to benign growths, if the elastography program shows that the suspicious tissue is completely elastic, the biopsy is unnecessary. I thus spare the patient both the pain of the biopsy and emotional stress of waiting for results. Furthermore, it is always best to avoid an invasive procedure if at all possible.”
Cancer cells may develop in a woman's breast tissue in the form of lumps or calcifications. When such a lump or calcification is detected, a biopsy - a sample of the suspicious tissue - must be performed. An ultrasound-guided biopsy makes it possible to see where the needle is inserted in order to identify the suspicious area most accurately. If a lump is found during this examination, the biopsy is performed with the ultrasound machine. However, the ultrasound device cannot detect micro-calcifications that may indicate the presence of a malignancy. These can be seen only by mammography. In order to perform biopsies of micro-calcifications, Laniado Hospital has acquired a Mammotome device, which can detect lesions as small as 0.1 mm. The vacuum-assisted device photographs the calcification from two angles, making it possible to ascertain that the needle with which the biopsy is performed indeed reaches the lesion. Laniado is the only medical institution in the Sharon region that offers the Mammotome examination. In addition to making it possible to offer a highly accurate breast cancer diagnosis, the Mammotome vacuums and removes the suspicious tissue for further examination, making biopsy surgery unnecessary. The tissue that was removed is photographed to ensure that the calcifications were indeed removed. "The Mammotome examination is a highly accurate test that helps detect the development of cancerous calcifications in the breast, which cannot be identified by ultrasound, during the early stages,” says said Dr. Yosef Deri, director of Laniado Hospital’s Mammography Institute. “Early detection of breast cancer is critical in saving lives. Laniado is scrupulous about performing the examination with the highest degree of accuracy available today in order to save lives."