Southampton, NY—The Ellen Hermanson Foundation, long-time supporters of Southampton Hospital’s Ellen Hermanson Breast Center, the only center of its kind on Eastern Long Island, has committed a minimum of $220,000 to underwrite the Hospital’s acquisition of a new Hologic state-of-the-art, dual detector mammography system with Tomosynthesis 3D capabilities. Scientists, doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals continue to agree that the ability to identify breast cancer in its earliest stages remains the best defense and that early detection saves lives. The funding will strengthen Southampton Hospital’s capacity in the critical area of screening and early detection by using Breast Tomosynthesis as an adjunct screening modality, but not yet a replacement for routine digital mammography.
In making the announcement, Hospital President and CEO, Robert Chaloner commented, “The Ellen Hermanson Breast Center has been an invaluable resource for women and families, offering a comprehensive array of services, from routine screening mammograms and sonograms to minimally invasive stereotactic and core biopsies. From the beginning, the Ellen Hermanson Foundation has generously supported the growth and exceptional quality of our program. Southampton Hospital is most fortunate to have such a knowledgeable and caring partner in fighting breast cancer on Eastern Long Island.”
Tomosynthesis, or 3D Mammography, transcends the capabilities of traditional digital mammography and is the next generation of screening modalities. Digital Tomosynthesis of the breast is to standard mammography as a CT scan of the chest is to a standard chest x-ray. As the next generation of mammography, Tomosynthesis enables clinicians to identify and characterize individual breast structures with clarity and certainty never before possible. Tomosynthesis minimizes detection challenges associated with overlapping structures in the breast. The three-dimensional images reveal a clearer picture of the inner structure of the breast, enabling radiologists to better identify lesions previously undetectable and free from shadowing which often occurs in traditional mammography. As a result, patients can avoid additional and sometimes unnecessary testing, and therefore less exposure to radiation. Tomosynthesis allows for earlier detection of small breast cancers that may be hidden during 2D mammography and greater accuracy in pinpointing size, shape and location of abnormalities. In addition, there is greater likelihood of detecting multiple breast tumors, which occur in 15% of breast cancer patients.
The Ellen Hermanson Breast Center has distinguished itself by offering state-of-the-art “academic medical center” care in a warm and compassionate community hospital setting. Comments Julie Ratner, Foundation Chair, “We are happy to continue to support Southampton Hospital because it is our belief that medical care is not a luxury and that people should have access to quality care close to home. The funds raised by the Ellen Hermanson Foundation are dedicated to benefitting our East End community.”
