PAMF Santa Cruz Division First in County to Offer Digital Mammograms

Santa Cruz, Calif. — The Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF) Santa Cruz has opened the first digital mammography facility in Santa Cruz County. The recently renovated office on the first floor of PAMF’s clinic at 2025 Soquel Avenue offers full field digital mammography, private consultation rooms, and early morning and Saturday appointments.

According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), breast cancer is still the second leading cause of cancer death in women, exceeded only by lung cancer. Studies have shown that, when detected early, the chance for successful treatment of breast cancer is nearly 100 percent.

The ACS recommends that all women have a baseline screening mammogram between the age of 35 and 40 and beginning at the age of 40, should have an annual screening mammogram.

“We want to ensure that we have the latest technology to help women in the fight against breast cancer,” says Margaret Hansen, M.D., medical director of radiology at PAMF Santa Cruz. “Digital mammography is more convenient for the patient, uses less radiation, and studies show that it is better at detecting cancer in younger women and in women with dense breast tissue.”

Mammograms play a central part in the early detection of breast cancer because they can detect changes in the breast that may be early signs of cancer, but are too small or subtle to be felt. The use of mammography has greatly enhanced the ability to detect breast cancers at earlier stages. Digital mammography uses computers and specially designed digital detectors to produce an image that can be displayed on a high-resolution computer monitor and transmitted and stored just like computer files.

Unlike film-based mammography, digital mammograms produce images that appear on the technologist’s monitor in a matter of seconds. There is no waiting for film to develop, which means patients spend less time in the breast imaging suite. With the digital, high-resolution images, patients also receive much quicker results.

When breast tissue is x-rayed, it creates an image that looks something like a smoky haze, making it difficult to see tiny “spots,” called microcalcifications, and other subtle signs of early cancer. With digital mammography, the radiologist can adjust the brightness, change contrast, and zoom in for close ups of specific areas of interest. Being able to manipulate images is one of the main benefits of digital technology.

Another convenience of digital mammography over film-based systems is it can greatly reduce the need for retakes due to over or under exposure. This saves additional time and reduces exposure to x-rays. Digital images can also be easily stored, transmitted and copied without any loss of information; eliminating dependence on only one set of “original” films.

Patients can receive mammogram reports as interpreted by radiologists, along with all other x-ray results performed at PAMF Santa Cruz through the convenience of their home computer using PAMFOnline. For more information about the capabilities of PAMFOnline and to view a demo, go to: https://mychart.sutterhealth.org/pamf

Digital mammography appointments can be scheduled through the Radiology Department at 831-458-5521. For more information, visit www.santacruzmedical.org.

For more information, contact:
Mark Riley
PAMF Marketing
831 460-6034
rileym1@pamf.org