According to a study published by the National Institutes of Health, breast cancer rates could actually be higher in the military population than the general population, meaning that the growing number of women in the military are at a higher risk of developing breast cancer.
As of now, the cause of this risk is unknown, but some believe that exposure to chemicals on duty plays a role. Despite the increasing number of veteran women and the risk of breast cancer associated with their job, less than half of the 171 Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) medical centers offer mammograms.
On June 7, the Making Advances in Mammography and Medical Options for Veterans Act (the MAMMO Act) was signed into law by President Joe Biden. The MAMMO Act outlines new requirements for mammograms and breast cancer treatment by the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) to make breast imaging services for veterans more accessible and of higher quality.
One of these requirements states that VA facilities must upgrade all mammography services to three-dimensional breast imaging systems, also known as mammography with tomosynthesis or 3D mammo.
The requirements for the VA include:
The MAMMO Act benefits providers as well as patients. It may seem expensive at first to upgrade all 2D mammography systems to 3D breast tomosynthesis systems. However, it's possible that tomosynthesis systems can actually bring in more revenue.
3D breast digital tomosynthesis systems have an extra CPT code that providers can bill for on top of the original mammogram procedure. This CPT code means that providers earn more revenue from each mammogram with tomosynthesis than with traditional 2D mammograms.
What is 3D Breast Tomosynthesis
Whereas 2D mammograms take a two-dimensional picture of the breast, 3D breast tomosynthesis systems take many images of the breast from different angles. These images are then projected and assembled into a 3D rendering of the patient’s breast, which allows the radiologist to look at the breast tissue in thinner segments with more precision.
This type of rendering has multiple benefits:
These benefits vary between different tomosynthesis systems, depending on image quality and depth resolution. The number of projections, the size of the angle, and the algorithm used to reconstruct the images into a 3D rendering are all factors to consider.
What to look for in a 3D breast tomosynthesis system
Whether you're in a VA facility or any other organization, when upgrading your systems from 2D mammography to breast tomosynthesis, it's important to consider which features are best for your facility, your technologists and, most importantly, your patients.
Some factors to consider are:
The MAMMOMAT Revelation has HD breast biopsy technology that lets technologists click on a specific area of breast tissue with +/- 1 mm accuracy. After the tissue is acquired, the technologist can use the integrated biopsy imaging tool and visualize the sample at their station. This process can be quicker, as it potentially eliminates the need to move samples from room to room for the right equipment.
It is important to choose a tomosynthesis system that fits your facility’s and your patients’ needs. 3D breast tomosynthesis can potentially increase revenue from mammograms, make breast images easier for technologists to read, and raise the standard of care for patients.
As the population of women in military service grows, medical services for veterans must grow too. The MAMMO Act is a step in the right direction towards accessible, high-quality care for veterans.