Gippsland Chief Radiographer Stephanie Tamblyn welcomes the new 3D breast imaging machine
Cutting-edge 3D breast screening technology has arrived at the Gippsland Reading and Assessment Service to be used in assessments when clients are called back for further tests.
The purchase of the Hologic Genius 3D machine is part of a $1.8 million funding commitment to deliver new digital breast tomosyntheses machines at all our Reading and Assessment Services.
Tomosynthesis machines take x-rays of the breast from different angles and create a 3D image, instead of the standard 2D. For those who are called back for more tests, the technology speeds up lifesaving diagnosis and cuts down on invasive procedures. After a delay in delivery due to COVID-19, the first of the new devices is up and running.
"Installation just completed last Monday and we used it in our Assessment Clinic on Tuesday," said Chief Radiographer Stephanie Tamblyn. "We were all very impressed with the image quality and the ease of use. It is really fantastic."
Radiographer Maria Bernthal with the new 3D mammogram machine.
Thanks to earlier detection and better treatments, more Victorian women are surviving breast cancer, with the five-year survival rate now at 91 per cent compared to 73 per cent in 1986.
But we know we need to do more to save more lives. Breast cancer is the second most common new cancer in Victoria, with 4,524 Victorian women diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017, and 779 dying from the disease.
If you are between 50 and 74, book your free breast screen online or by calling 13 20 50.