Detecting breast cancer will now be easier than ever before thanks to the combination of technology recently introduced to the Abbotsford Regional Hospital and Cancer Centre (ARHCC).
For the past year, the hospital's cancer centre has been using 3-D tomosynthesis mammography to identify small, early density changes, which ARHCC mammography supervisor Corlea Smit said is not a technology that is unique to the region but is still incredibly important.
"This technology has detected cancers in recent months that would have otherwise gone unnoticed until they progressed further," Smit said.
However, the ARHCC really improved its cancer-detecting abilities when it introduced contrast-enhanced diagnostic mammography, which allows physicians to diagnose cancer more easily by eliminating any overlap of healthy and harmful tissues.
Smit explained that the Abbotsford hospital is the first health-care facility in the Fraser Health region to combine 3-D tomosynthesis and contrast-enhanced diagnostic mammography, joining only two other hospitals in the entire province that offer the same combination of techniques.
This new diagnosis strategy, paired with the purchase of two breast ultrasound rooms and other ultrasound equipment, has helped to create a more effective cancer diagnosis experience for the more than 22,000 patients who undergo breast imaging exams at ARHCC each year.
ARHCC breast sonographer Charmaine Bergen said that the hardworking team at the cancer centre is also a huge part of how the Abbotsford hospital is able to provide the best care possible for all cancer patients.
"We are honoured and humbled to offer these exciting and hugely impactful services to the residents of the Fraser Valley," Bergen said.
