Detect Early Breast Cancer with Breast Specific Gamma Imaging  

Available at The Iowa Clinic

The Iowa Clinic Women’s Center is the first in the state to offer Breast-Specific Gamma Imaging (BSGI).  Only available in a few healthcare organizations around the United States, BSGI is the “next step” in detecting early breast cancer.
 
When a mammogram is inconclusive (questionable) BSGI can give physicians and patients the answers they need to know - quickly.  BSGI is able to detect early stage cancers, identify suspicious and difficult-to-read breast abnormalities, and help doctors distinguish benign from malignant tumors.

BSGI is designed especially for patients who have had the following:

• Suspicious area on a mammogram;
• Dense breast tissue;
• Lumps that can be felt but not seen with a mammography or ultrasound and;
• Scarring from previous surgeries.

BSGI is not designed to take the place of a mammography, but to compliment the procedure.  Pairing the information from the two tests gives physicians a more complete overview of a patient’s breast health.

“Mammography is still the first-line screening tool for breast cancer, but there are those challenging cases where it raises as many questions as it provides answers,” says Rodion Herrera, D.O.  “Mammography primarily measures differences in tissue density, but because dense tissue and cancers have a similar appearance on mammography, it may be difficult to identify cancers and lead to unnecessary biopsies.”

Patients who undergo BSGI are first injected in the arm with a small amount of radiotracer agent. The radiotracer is absorbed by all cells in their body, and because cancerous cells have a higher rate of metabolic activity, they absorb a greater amount of the tracer and appear as “hot spots” to the camera. BSGI is highly sensitive in its ability to detect breast abnormalities, and most importantly is very specific in its ability to help doctors differentiate between benign and malignant tissue.

Learn more about comprehensive breast imaging available at The Iowa Clinic.

Hopes high for cancer scan - Read the Des Moines Register Article on BSGI.

The Iowa Clinic Medical Imaging
515-244-5109