Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women today. It is estimated that one in seven women in the U.S. will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. Yet research shows the 5-year relative survival rate for those who detect their breast cancer early is 82 percent.

Inland Imaging provides state-of-the-art technology and advanced medical expertise to gain important information about your patient's breast health. The breast imaging procedures offered include screening and diagnostic mammography, breast ultrasound, breast biopsies, breast MRI, ductography, PEM (Positron Emission Mammography) and PET/CT.

Procedures

Mammography

Mammography services at Inland Imaging are accredited by the American College of Radiology (ACR) and certified by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Inland Imaging’s radiologists who read breast-imaging studies are board-certified physicians who specialize in diagnostic breast imaging. Our mammography technologists are dedicated mammography professionals who perform over 52,000 exams annually.

A screening mammogram is an x-ray examination of the breast using very low levels of radiation. It is currently the best available tool for detecting breast cancer when no symptoms exist.

A screening mammogram procedure does not require a doctor referral, however, every patient must have a primary care provider to whom we can send results. Inland Imaging does not accept patients without a primary care provider.

Computer aided detection (CAD) technology reviews a patient’s film, detects areas of concern, and marks them. The radiologist then reviews the marked areas to determine if the areas are suspicious and require further evaluation. Studies show that CAD analysis improves the detection of early cancer by as much as eight to ten percent.

A diagnostic mammogram is a problem-solving exam that may involve additional views of the breast and is ordered after an abnormality is found on a screening mammogram or if the patient has symptoms (breast mass, skin changes, discharge, etc.)

The technologist who performs the exam works closely with a radiologist to determine the best images for the breast evaluation. This work up will determine if further imaging is needed, such as a breast ultrasound or breast MRI.

Breast Ultrasound

Breast ultrasound is a noninvasive exam that uses sonar technology to determine if a suspicious area is a fluid filled cyst or a solid mass.

Breast Biopsy

A breast biopsy is a tissue sampling technique used to confirm or rule out the presence of breast cancer. Breast biopsies can be surgical or non-surgical; Inland Imaging specializes in non-surgical breast biopsies. Utilizing these methods benefits patients by decreasing recovery time and reducing scarring compared with surgical excisional biopsy. Inland Imaging utilizes three primary non-surgical methods to obtain samples: ultrasound-guided core-needle breast biopsy, MRI-guided breast biopsy, and stereotactic breast biopsy.

Ultrasound-guided core-needle biopsy is commonly used to obtain tissue of suspicious masses within the breast, whether or not they can be felt during a clinical examination. An ultrasound probe is placed over the site and a radiologist guides a biopsy needle directly into the mass. Local anesthesia is used during this procedure.

Stereotactic biopsy uses a dedicated biopsy table combined with digital mammography to determine the exact biopsy location. Tissue samples are then extracted using a vacuum assisted biopsy instrument called the Mammotome™. Patients have minimal discomfort during and after the procedure. Minimal restrictions on activity are given for 48 hours after the procedure.

Breast MRI

Breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an excellent problem solving technology. It is often used to investigate breast concerns first detected with mammography, physical exam, or other imaging exams. Breast MRI has been approved by the FDA since 1991 for use as a supplement to mammography to help diagnose breast cancer. Unlike mammography, which uses low dose x-rays to image the breast, MRI uses powerful magnetic fields and radio waves to create images of the breast.

Patients undergoing a breast MRI exam lie face down on the MRI table that is specially configured so that the breasts are positioned to hang freely through two openings called breast coils. After images have been acquired and assessed with CAD, a radiologist evaluates and interprets the images.

Biopsies may also be performed using breast MRI. MRI-guided breast biopsy is a fast, safe and easy way to find and biopsy breast abnormalities without any unnecessary surgery.

PET/CT

Positron emission tomography (PET), combined with computed tomography (CT), is a nuclear medicine imaging technique that uses very short-lived radioactive compounds that localize in cancer cells. Typically a patient will undergo other imaging exams first before receiving a PET/CT scan. In relation to breast cancer, PET/CT is used solely in the initial staging or re-staging of cancer, and in evaluating its response to treatment.