Mammography & Breast Imaging
About one in eight women develop breast cancer in their lifetimes. But when it’s caught early, the five-year survival rate is nearly 99 percent. Learn how to protect yourself with help from St. Bernards Healthcare.
3D Mammography
Mammograms are the most important screening tool for breast cancer. Schedule yours at St. Bernards Imaging Center. All our mammograms use 3D technology to provide the clearest possible images. Detailed results improve the likelihood of finding cancer in its first stages, when it’s easier to treat.
Same-Day Results
You’ll get a call with your screening mammogram results on the day of your appointment. That means less waiting and more peace of mind for you.
Screening & Diagnostic Tests
A mammogram is considered a screening if you don’t have symptoms of a breast problem. The same test is considered a diagnostic exam if you do have symptoms, such as pain or changes to the look or feel of your breast.
Automated Ultrasound for Dense Breasts
It’s harder to detect cancer in dense breasts, which have little fatty tissue. So, if a mammogram shows you have dense breasts, you may benefit from an additional screening tool—automated breast ultrasound. This technology uses sound waves to show your breast tissue in more detail than a mammogram alone. It’s available at St. Bernards Imaging Center in Jonesboro.
Facts to know about dense breasts:
- Breasts are made of fat and glands that make milk, held together by fibrous tissue. The more glands and fibrous tissue compared to fatty tissue that a woman has, the “denser” her breast tissue.
- Many women have dense breasts. This is normal and common. In fact, nearly half (over 40%) of women over age 40 have dense breasts.
- When radiologists look at mammograms, they can see how dense the breasts are.
- Dense tissue appears white on a mammogram, and so does cancer. This makes it harder for radiologists to see cancer in dense breasts. Because cancer can be missed, it is often found when larger and at a later stage in women with dense breasts.
- Dense breasts are also a risk factor for breast cancer. A woman’s risk for breast cancer increases with the level of density in her breasts.
I have dense breasts...now what?
Dense breast tissue increases the risk of developing breast cancer and of having cancer missed on a mammogram. There are additional tests that can help find cancer that may be hidden on the mammogram, including screening breast ultrasound. Talk with your health professional about these additional tests.
Breast Health Navigator
If you receive a callback for more testing after a routine breast cancer screening, you may meet with a breast patient navigator. This professional will help explain your results and guide you through the next steps, such as a biopsy.
Image-Guided Biopsies
When a breast cancer screening shows something suspicious, a doctor may want to take a sample of the unusual tissue to examine it in a lab. This procedure is called a biopsy. To guide a needle to the right spot and remove a sample of cells, a health professional will use imaging technology. Depending on the type of imaging used, your procedure may be:
Rest assured; most biopsy results are benign (not cancer). But if you do receive a cancer diagnosis, count on a navigator for support throughout cancer treatment and recovery.
Breast Assured Program
You deserve lifesaving care no matter your insurance coverage or financial situation. If you’re not eligible for Arkansas’ BreastCare program, Medicaid or Medicare, call 870.207.8000 to learn about our Breast Assured program. Services covered include screening and diagnostic mammograms, breast ultrasounds and biopsies.
Accredited, High-Quality Imaging
The American College of Radiology (ACR) recognizes St. Bernards Imaging Center as a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence because we’re accredited in:
The mobile mammography unit also holds ACR accreditation in mammography.
Our accreditations mean you can feel confident that our staff, technology and processes will ensure your safety and accurate results.
Mobile Mammography
Help keep women healthy in your local area. Call 870.207.8007 to ask St. Bernards to bring a mobile mammography unit to your clinic, workplace, event or organization at no charge. Our education coordinator will also come to talk about the value of preventive care and women’s health. Or, you can schedule an educational visit from the coordinator without the mobile unit.
