As women the woes of aging are many – especially when it comes to our breasts. Gravity wreaks havoc on our physiques – and our previously firm, taut, and pert lady parts fall prey to its evil forces. Yet these aesthetic injustices pale in comparison to what goes on inside our bodies.
As we age our chances of developing breast cancer increase. This is in part due to hormones—estrogen and progestin—released during ovulation to stimulate the cells lining the milk ducts to multiply. The more that cells divide and replicate their information over the course of our lifetime, the more likely it is that they will make mistakes. It’s like making a photocopy of a photocopy – each time the result is less like the original.
While none of these facts are fun – the good news is that there are a number of things you can do to take control and mitigate your risk of developing breast cancer. Exercise is an obvious but overlooked example. Studies have shown that working out for as little as two hours per week can lower your chances of developing the disease by 20 percent. Eating healthy, not smoking, and regular visits to the gynecologist are also beneficial.
As important as those things are, mammograms can literally save your life by detecting potentially fatal abnormalities. According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, there is a 96 percent survival rate when breast cancer is found early.
Mammography technology has advanced since its inception and Bergen Imaging Center is proud to be at the forefront of the field. We are pleased to offer breast tomosynthesis, also know as 3D mammography, featuring GE’s Senoclaire. Tomosynthesis has higher detection rates, fewer false positives, and fewer recalls when compared to traditional mammography.
“Our goal is to make breast tomosynthesis with digital mammography our standard protocol for all women undergoing mammography,” said Bergen Imaging Center’s Medical Director, Christopher L. Petti, M.D.