The 3D device, called “tomosystemasys” was developed using a unique method of mammography that allows the 3D imaging of the breast tissues, instead of the 2D imaging, as was accepted in regular mammography. Dr. Cerniak Atias explains that in the new device, the x-ray tube moves in an arch while recording the data and after a computerized processing of this data, there is a sequence of images 1 mm thick, that compose the image of the complete breast.
This is what a 3D mammography looks like:
“The problem with the 2D mammography is sometimes the masking of true findings due to the shadow the breast tissues cast on one another, especially in a thick breast, and sometimes the creation of ‘fake findings’. From the same reason, the 3D mammography helps us overcome this problem,” Dr. Cerniak-Atias explains. Using the 3D method, the radiologist who reads the test results can see the complete image of the breast and at the same time, browse the various images, much like a CT or an MRI, which creates more accurate information.
For the women tested the way of performing the test is similar to the 2D mammography, so the woman does not know the difference. “Comparative studies in the world that were conducted on the tomosynthesis (3D) compared to the digital 2D mammography show that it improves the diagnosis of penetrative tumors and also decreases the need for repetitive or additional imaging,” Dr. Cerniak-Atias summarizes the major advantages of this innovative system.
