Comprehensive Breast Center becomes first facility in Tennessee to offer gamma imaging machine
KINGSPORT – Diagnosing breast cancer can be a daunting challenge, even when correlating a physical exam with the latest diagnostic tools, including digital mammography, ultrasound and even magnetic resonance imaging.
That’s why the Comprehensive Breast Center at Holston Valley Medical Center has become the first healthcare facility in Tennessee to offer patients a new, cutting-edge diagnostic tool: breast-specific gamma imaging – or BSGI.
For certain patients, BSGI can be particularly effective at detecting breast cancer in its earliest stages – even when other, more traditional diagnostic tools do not detect cancer. A breast-specific gamma imaging machine was donated to the Wellmont Foundation by Blue Ridge Radiology of Kingsport, the radiologists who practice at Holston Valley.
“We donated the money to acquire this technology because we, the radiologists, are frequently frustrated by the knowledge of the limitations of the other imaging methods, particularly when malignancy could be hiding in dense tissue and not detectable,” said Dr. Jim Phillips, the medical director of imaging at the Comprehensive Breast Center.
Dr. Phillips said BSGI is just one of the many facets that make the Comprehensive Breast Center a regional leader in breast health for women. Located at the Holston Valley Outpatient Center, the Comprehensive Breast Center is the only healthcare facility in Northeast Tennessee that has earned Breast Center of Excellence status from the American College of Radiology.
While mammography and ultrasound evaluate structural characteristics, BSGI technology uses nuclear medicine to allow more physiologic or functional evaluation of tissue to determine the presence or absence of an abnormality. It can be especially useful for patients who have:
- very dense or irregular breast tissue
- suspicious findings on a mammogram
- lumps that can be felt but not seen with mammography or ultrasound
- implants or scarring from previous surgeries
- dense tissue with family or personal histories of breast cancer
“Mammography and ultrasound remain the primary methods of evaluation, with BSGI and MRI used for more challenging cases,” Dr. Phillips said. “While this exam is only indicated in a small minority of patients, having this technology available provides us with better capabilities to evaluate these most difficult situations. The high cost of the equipment and infrequency of utilization would not allow for cost justification of the purchase, so our group donated the money to buy it. ”
The imaging procedure takes about 40 to 50 minutes, and patients can relax with reading materials during the process. It is a comfortable and non-invasive exam, which also makes for a more pleasant experience.
BSGI has already proved effective for several patients. In some cases, BSGI identified a malignancy, while with others it provided confidence that no cancer was present when other tests generated concern or were less conclusive.
“It’s very exciting to have this technology available for the women in our area,” said Leslie Gilliam, clinical coordinator of the Breast Imaging Center. “We’re fortunate to have a piece of equipment that helps us to better serve the patients in our community.”
Dr. Phillips said this advanced tool for diagnosis could not come along too soon for patients – or, for that matter, radiologists such as him.
“I’ve been pulling out my hair for years trying to evaluate these tough cases,” Dr. Phillips said. “Maybe with the help of BSGI, I can save the hair I have left.”
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