An innovative mammography camera is now in use at the Irene and Leslie Dubé Centre of Care Breast Health Centre.
The machine is called a Hologic 3Dimensions Mammography system.
A mammography camera is used in a mammogram to take x-rays of the breasts to determine the cause of lumps, masses or abnormalities.
This new machine has curved paddles to make the test more comfortable for the patient, creates a sharper image and can be used with contrast for better diagnosis capabilities.
The Saskatoon City Hospital Foundation, their donors and the Saskatoon Health Authority (SHA) split the cost of this machine.
The partnership was able to get the machine in six or seven weeks.
“As a matter of fact, it was one of the fastest ordered machines,” said Steve Shannon, CEO of The Saskatoon City Hospital Foundation.
“So, it was I think it was about six, seven weeks from start to finish, which is absolutely miraculous. Procurement was just on top of everything when they ordered the machine.”
The SHA and the Saskatoon City Hospital Foundation hope that this new machine can help with early detection and reducing wait times.
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“Whether it was a detected lump, an abnormality (or) something. It needs to be checked out. Not everything, in either women or men, is cancerous. So, you have to check it out to see. Maybe it’s a cyst, maybe it’s something else,” said Shannon. “The earlier the detection, from women and men with self-exam, the better.
“And that’s the biggest thing self-exam, I think any (doctor) will tell you that that’s number one. But reducing wait times will automatically (happen) now that we are doing this on a regular basis.”