Improved Breast Cancer Care at Inova

Inova offers new technology to increase ease, speed of mammograms

Getting a mammogram is not the most comfortable experience for women. In addition to the anxiety that it can trigger, the screening itself can cause physical discomfort. For these reasons, Inova takes steps to update its technology to provide the best possible experience.

Comfortable Equipment: One way the Peterson Family Breast Center at Inova Loudoun Hospital (ILH) recently made the patient experience better is by adding a new SmartCurve^TM stabilization system to its 3D mammography equipment. “The new system provides more comfort,” says Crystal Dooms, RT(R)(M), Imaging Clinical Coordinator at the center. “Instead of the [compression] paddle being square and symmetrical, it’s concave and curved, so the part that goes against the chest mimics the chest’s shape and is more comfortable.”

This minor change demonstrates the commitment that ILH has to providing the best care around, she says. The breast care center at Inova Fair Oaks Hospital (IFOH) also plans to add the SmartCurve technology later this year. “We offer the best technology and a skilled clinical team of experts including fellowship- trained breast imagers,” Dooms says. “We also focus on the little things that make the patient experience better, like offering warm robes.”

Cutting Edge: IFOH has also upgraded its technology recently, adding GeniusTM 3D mammography capability. This provides radiologists and surgeons better visualization, creating a clearer picture on which to base diagnoses. Studies show that it detects between 20% and 65% more invasive breast cancer compared to 2D mammography. “The Genius 3D system is more comfortable for women and it’s faster, so not only is the workflow more efficient … but women also spend less time compressed,” says Stephen Hunt, Director of Diagnostic Imaging, IFOH.

Breast Cancer Awareness
Learn more about Inova’s approach to breast cancer.