NBC29Gamma Imaging at UVA
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The Breast Care Center at University Health System is using a new technology in the fight against breast cancer. It's not a replacement for a mammogram, but it does help doctors find tumors earlier.
It's a technology that's been approved for clinical use and UVA is using it to do research to improve the device and see how well it works. Twelve patients at UVA have used gamma imaging so far and it's giving some of them a little piece of mind.
Tiffany Adams discovered a lump in her left breast last year. "Never thought at this young of an age of 38 that I would have breast cancer," she stated. Since then she's had a complete mastectomy and underwent chemotherapy and radiation. Now she gets routine screenings to make sure she's cancer free using gamma imaging.
"The mammogram wouldn't have been I guess, as specific or wouldn't have been as affective as this new tool that they have," said Adams.
Breast specific gamma imaging is a molecular imaging procedure that uses a small amount of a radio active tracer to show cancer that other imaging may have missed.
"It's basically showing how active the tissue is or cancers of course are very active so they're going to take up a lot of this radio active tracer and show up as a dark spot on the image," said Dr. Jennifer Harvey, Professor of Radiology and Director of Breast Imaging at UVA Health System.
Adams was the first patient at UVA to use the Dilon 6800 Gamma Camera. Patients like her who are at an increase risk of breast cancer or have a family history of the disease should consider using the device.
"The data to this time show that it can pick up smaller tumors than what we can see on a mammogram," said Dr. David Brenin, Chief of Breast Surgical Services and Co-Director, UVA Breast Center.
Gamma imaging is not a replacement for a mammogram but studies suggest it's better at finding cancer earlier. Dr. Harvey said gamma imaging is a little more expensive than a mammogram but it's a lot cheaper than an MRI which is often used in breast cancer screenings. She also said gamma imaging is usually covered by health insurance.
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