PADUCAH — Mercy Health – Lourdes Hospital and Baptist Health Paducah are utilizing Contrast Enhanced Mammography to check patients with dense breast tissue for cancer, which will help radiologists find the disease sooner rather than later.
During an appointment, a regular mammogram machine is used alongside contrast liquid to provide a clearer image for radiologists. Photo taken by Callie Stone in Paducah on August 8, 2024.
According to the National Cancer Institute, nearly half of women 40 years and older have dense breast tissue. This makes it more difficult to see cancerous spots on a regular mammogram screening.
Mercy Health Lourdes' first scan using the machine was on July 24. Baptist Health Paducah's first patient scanning was on Tuesday, Aug. 6.
As both hospitals begin to use the technology, they're both excited for the benefits it will have for patients.
Amanda Ward was the first patient at Baptist Health Paducah to get a CEM. Photo taken by Mason Watkins in Paducah on August 8, 2024.
Some patients like Amanda Ward have already used CME. Ward was the first patient to use it at Baptist Health Paducah.
"I'd never had the contrast injection, but they use contrast every day and you know, now that I've had it, I would definitely do it again because I know what to expect and just having the peace of mind was worth it," Ward said.
This machine is used when performing a Contrast Enhanced Mammogram. Photo taken by Callie Stone in Paducah on August 8, 2024.
Ward added that she has dense breast tissue as well as a family history of breast cancer.
"There has been a finding on my MRI that enhanced, and it shows on ultrasound. It's probably a benign finding but you know, still in the back of my mind, you worry. And, so, with that Contrast Enhanced Mammogram, my mammogram was clean so that gave me all the peace in the world," Ward said.
Allison Ward, M.D., is a radiologist at Baptist Health Paducah. Photo taken by Mason Watkins in Paducah on August 8, 2024.
Allison Simons, M.D., is a radiologist at Baptist Health Paducah. She said the new technology creates a much clearer picture for those with dense breast tissue.
"We're able to look at the blood flow and so cancers tend to recruit blood vessels and so they light up on Contrast Enhanced Mammography, kind of like highlighting, and so something that might be hidden until it's larger is able to be seen when it's smaller," Simons said.
A patient's mammogram is shown without contrast, left, and with contrast, right. Image provided by Baptist Health Paducah.
Simons said typically a radiologist will recommend a CEM if it's needed.
"Contrast Enhanced Mammography is currently available to women with dense breasts in the setting of diagnostic workup. So, that means that a lady has a complaint about her breast or we are calling something back from screening mammogram," Simons said.
Simons is glad this advancement will give some of her patients comfort.
"I don't want them to have any lingering doubts or concerns. I want them to sleep well at night knowing that we don't see anything bad in their breasts and Contrast Enhanced Mammo is another tool in the toolbox to make that happen," Simons said.
"It's really putting two known pieces together in a new way to get more information," Simons said.
At Mercy Health Lourdes, Director of Imaging Katie Warren spoke to Lourdes getting the technology.
"This is a really exciting development for women with dense breast tissue. Dr. Daniel Howard has been working on bringing this to the Paducah region for years. It's finally here and we're really excited, especially for these women who can't complete an MRI for one reason or another. This is just one more way that we'd be able to validate what's going on and be able to provide that excellent patient care and get to the bottom of any problem that they might be having, especially if that's breast cancer," Warren said in a statement.
