Adventist Health Tillamook Announces Availability of 3D Mammography Technology

This service uses low radiation scanning to deliver safe, state-of-the-art results to patients.

The gold standard of breast cancer detection is now available at the Adventist Health Tillamook Medical Center. 3D Mammography combined with Artificial Intelligence analysis is the latest advance in highly accurate and safe scanning – and is now available for appointments through local health care providers along the Oregon coast. Holly Hogan, Manager of Diagnostic Imaging at Adventist Health Tillamook is quick to point out that this exciting project has been in development since 2019, focusing on adding convenience and big city technology to our small community. She states, “We chose a technology that has the lowest radiation dose of competitive products but provides better and earlier breast cancer detection while also reducing unnecessary callbacks by up to 40%.”

3D scanning produces radiographic images that are much clearer for detecting cancer, using an imaging procedure that creates 200-300 scans from different angles compared to only four using traditional scanning technology. The 3D scans are also much easier for a trained radiologist to see cancerous tumors in their earliest stages. With early detection of breast cancer, the five-year survival rate is almost 100 percent. In 2018 a study of 15,000 women over a period of five years showed that 3D mammography resulted in a 34% increase in tumor detection over traditional mammography. According to the American Cancer Society, all women should have the choice to start mammograms annually starting at age 40 if they have an average risk for breast cancer. Women with a gene mutation such as BRCA 1 or BRCA 2, or a strong family history of breast cancer should consult with their provider about getting a mammogram as early as age 30.