CHESAPEAKE, Va. (WVEC) -- Chesapeake Regional Healthcare is unveiling a new Mobile Mammography Unit that is equipped with both 2D and 3D technology. It is the first such unit available in Hampton Roads.
The 40-foot mammography unit will travel to communities and businesses across Hampton Roads and offer quick appointments for patients. Screenings usually last about 20 minutes, and the units are set up with private changing area and mammography unit for privacy.
The Mobile Mammography Unit uses technology designed to increase image quality, while significantly decreasing the amount of radiation a patient is exposed to.
CRH says that according to the journal Radiology, 3D mammography (also known as tomosynthesis) has been proven to detect breast cancer at a 27 percent higher rate than traditional 2D mammography.
Dr. Michael Petruschak, the director of imaging at Chesapeake Regional, says he hears it all the time: many busy or working women who don’t have the time to schedule mammograms during their work day.
"This actually brings the mobile unit to them where they are working ... so that it's convenient for them," he explains.
He adds that 3D technology has already decreased false positives by 25 percent at Chesapeake Regional.
“We can actually image the breast in different slices. We can see the tissue, even in dense breasts.”
After the image is performed inside of the RV, it's loaded onto the center’s cloud via wifi. Then, 24 to 48 hours later, a radiologist reads the image at Chesapeake Regional Breast Center and calls the patient with the results.
Dr. Petruschak says it's covered by Medicare.
“That's been a real help, because most women who get cancer are older. Hopefully other insurance companies follow suit,” he says.
If you insurance doesn’t cover it, it will cost you $105 out of pocket.
To schedule a screening day at your facility or to schedule an individual appointment, call (757) 312-6400 or email us CRH at chesapeakemammo@chesapeakeregional.com.
To view the location schedule for the Mobile Mammography Unit and to book an appointment at one of the locations most convenient for you, visit www.chesapeakemammo.com.