Three-dimensional mammography finds significantly more invasive cancers and reduces unnecessary recalls compared to 2-D mammography, according to a large, retrospective study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) that features data from EvergreenHealth.

The study, led by Dr. Sarah Friedewald at Advocate Lutheran Hospital in Park Ridge, Illinois, focused on the impact of 3-D mammography at a diverse range of sites across the U.S. The study looked at nearly half a million mammograms, including data from EvergreenHealth.

Key findings of the study include:

• 41 percent increase in invasive cancer detected with 3-D mammography

• 15 percent decrease in unnecessary recalls for false alarms

• 29 percent increase in the detection of all breast cancers

“We are proud to be part of such an important study and to share the benefits of a screening option that we’ve put into practice at EvergreenHealth for years to positively impact the lives of women across the country,” said EvergreenHealth CEO Bob Malte.

EvergreenHealth has long been a proponent of 3-D mammography and was the first health care organization in the Seattle area to offer the technology, both at the EvergreenHealth Breast Health Center and aboard its state-of-the-art mobile mammography coach.

“This study confirms what we already know: 3-D mammography saves lives,” said Kara Carlson, MD, medical director of the EvergreenHealth Breast Health Center. “If women are able to get a 3-D mammogram, they can feel more confident that their annual screening exam will be more accurate. And, equally important, women are less likely to be called back for anxiety-provoking and expensive false alarms.”

Women experience little difference between a conventional 2-D mammogram and a 3-D mammogram. The 3-D screening takes just a few seconds longer and the positioning is the same; the real difference is in the information available to the doctor. EvergreenHealth is also the only breast center in the area to offer MammoPad for a softer, more comfortable exam at no additional cost.

In two years of using 3-D mammography, EvergreenHealth found 54 incidences of breast cancer that would not have been detected using only 2-D mammography.

To schedule an appointment, patients may contact the Breast Health Center at 425-899-2831 or visit www.evergreenhealth.com/mammography.