MCHC Accredited for 2D and 3D Mammography

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and this year the Radiology Department at the Madelia Community Hospital & Clinic (MCHC) really has something to celebrate! They were recently notified that MCHC has again received their American College of Radiology (ACR) Accreditation Approval report and are accredited for 2D and 3D Mammography. Every three years facilities have to renew this accreditation. Due to COVID, the accreditation process was quite a challenge this year.

MCHC provides the latest in digital mammography, featuring wide angle, 3D Tomosynthesis technology that offers the most comprehensive breast scans. It is an approach to mammography that helps examine breast tissue layer by layer. As the x-ray tube moves though a 50-degree arch, it takes 25 images of the breast. The images are then reconstructed in 3D and displayed as slices for better separation of tissue layers and more visibility. This means better detection.

One in ten women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. Screening can save the lives of countless women every year and the serious consequences of this disease can be avoided if discovered early enough.

“About 85% of breast cancers occur in women who have no family history of breast cancer,” said Melissa Hunt, Radiology Department Manager. “That is why it is important to have regular screenings, even without a family history.”

The American Cancer Society recommends that women between the ages of 40 and 44 can choose to start screening with a mammogram every year. Women between the ages of 45 and 54 should get mammograms every year. Women 55 and older can do annual mammograms, or can switch to every other year. Screenings should continue as long as a woman is in good health and is expected to live for more that ten years.

For more information on breast cancer and mammography, call the MCHC Mammography Department at 507.642.5221.