Breast Center - Women's Health - Health Services

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Women's Health

Breast development occurs in distinct stages throughout a woman’s life, beginning before birth and continuing through puberty and the childbearing years. Changes also occur to the breasts again during menstruation and menopause, making the breasts one of the most commonly monitored and treated areas of the female body.

Mammography continues to be the best screening tool available for diagnosis of breast cancer. The American College of Radiology and the Society of Breast Imaging recommend yearly mammograms starting at age 40 and continuing for as long as a woman is in good health for early breast cancer detection in women without symptoms.

For women in Central Indiana, St. Margaret’s Hospital Guild Diagnostic Breast Center, located on the fifth floor of the Sandra Eskenazi Outpatient Care Center, is an accredited full-service breast imaging center. Services include:

3-D mammogram, also known as tomosynthesis
Breast ultrasound
Digital screening or diagnostic mammograms (screening mammography services are also available at Eskenazi Health West 38^th Street)
MRI/MRI guided biopsy
Stereotactic and ultrasound-guided breast biopsy

Patients are referred to the breast center by their primary care providers. A referral is not necessary to receive a screening mammogram. However, a referral will be required for the following symptoms:

Bloody or clear discharge
Focal (not general or cyclical) breast pain
Lump
Personal history of breast cancer

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What is 3D mammography?

A 3D mammogram is similar to a traditional mammogram and requires the same positioning and compression of the breasts. Instead of taking a single picture in each position, the x-ray machine sweeps in an arc over the breast and obtains multiple low-dose images. A computer then combines those images to produce a three-dimensional image of the breast tissue in one-millimeter slices. The radiologist scrolls through the images of the breast, similar to flipping through pages of a book, allowing better detail and more accuracy than the traditional 2D mammography.
What is the difference between a screening and a diagnostic mammogram?

A screening mammogram is an examination performed for women who have no breast complaints. This is a test recommended every year for women over 40 years old to detect breast cancer early, before it can be felt and when it is most treatable. A diagnostic mammogram is a study performed in women who have a breast complaint or as a follow-up to an abnormal screening.
What should I expect with 3D mammography?

You will likely not notice a difference between a 3D mammogram and the traditional 2D mammogram. The examination requires the same positioning and takes only a few seconds longer for each image.
Is there more radiation used in 3D mammography?

Very low X-ray energy is used and the radiation dose is about the same amount as a traditional mammogram.
Who can have a 3D mammogram?

Most women can have a 3D mammogram. Women with extremely large breasts or difficulty standing and holding their breath are not good candidates.
I’ve been told I have dense breasts. What does that mean and how do I get a clear mammogram?

Nearly 40 percent of women have dense breast tissue, which makes it more difficult to detect breast cancer as both dense breast tissue and cancers show up as white on an X-ray mammogram.

In May of 2019 St. Margaret’s Hospital Guild Diagnostic Breast Center installed a new piece of equipment specifically designed to help women with dense breast tissue. The Invenia™ ABUS 2.0 screening system uses sound waves to create 3D pictures of the breast tissue. The scans are used to complement the mammogram images in women with dense breasts to aid in the detection of breast cancer. The new technology is the only ultrasound technology FDA-approved for breast cancer detection in women with dense breast tissue.

For more information, please contact St. Margaret’s Hospital Guild Diagnostic Breast Center at 317.880.7280.

This website is NOT for medical emergencies or medical treatment. For medical treatment, please contact your physician’s office by phone or go to the nearest emergency room. For emergencies, please call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. If this is a mental health emergency, please call 317.880.8485.

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