Breast Program Physician Leadership Team, left to right: Dennis Streeter, D.O., surgeon Geeta Kura, M.D., medical oncologist Anastasia Siatras, D.O., radiologist Marion Trybula, M.D., medical oncologist Juan Limjoko, M.D., pathologist Kenneth Segel, M.D., radiologist Susan Schneider, M.D., plastic and reconstructive surgeon and B.H. Barai, M.D., medical oncologist and medical director of oncology Institute at Methodist Hospitals.
By all measures the Northwest Indiana Breast Care Center at Methodist Hospitals is a success. Opened in 2012, the Breast Care Center embodies Methodist Hospitals’ commitment to provide the most advanced technologies available for the early detection and treatment of breast cancer. Methodist Hospitals is a not-for-profit, community-based healthcare system with two full-service campuses located 14 miles apart in Gary and Merrillville, Ind.
The Breast Care Center on the Merrillville campus was specially designed to deliver high-quality, personalized care in a relaxed, comfortable setting easily accessible to women in the community. Word of the new facility and its reputation for excellence spread quickly, and just a short time after opening, the center was attracting women from throughout northwest Indiana and seeing as many as six new patients daily.
Setting New Standards of Care
The cornerstone of the breast center’s imaging services is 3D mammography (breast tomosynthesis), which sets the benchmark for care in the region and ensures the breast center will remain at the forefront of breast healthcare for many years to come. The hospital has three Hologic Selenia Dimensions 3D mammography systems and provides the technology at both campuses to ensure all patients receive 3D screening mammograms.
“We built our entire breast imaging concept around 3D imaging because we knew it was a landmark opportunity,” stated Ian McFadden, president and CEO. “Three-dimensional is one of the most innovative technologies we’ve seen in a long time and we were the first facility in Indiana, and one of the 50 facilities in the country, to utilize this advanced breast imaging modality.”
Finding Smaller Cancers Earlier
Using 3D technology, the staff already is seeing an increase in the early detection of smaller cancers and a reduction in recalls for additional views. “We added 3D imaging because it improves patient care,” added B.H. Barai, M.D., medical director of Methodist Hospitals’ Oncology Institute. “With 3D we can detect cancer earlier, which translates into a higher probability of cure.”
Fellowship-trained breast radiologist, Anastasia Siatras, D.O., believes 3D imaging allows radiologists to see more clearly, enabling them to find cancers they would not have found with 2D. “Tomosynthesis picks apart dense breast tissue far more accurately, allowing us to find cancers that may be obscured by dense overlying fibroglandular tissue. Sensitivity for finding smaller lesions and detecting cancer at an earlier stage is significantly improved.”
Breast radiologist Kenneth Segel, M.D., is a strong believer in the 3D mammography technology. “We can see breast tissue a layer at a time, which allows us to sort between things that are real and things that might look suspicious on a 2D image, but are actually just normal, overlapping structures. Three-dimensional also improves the sensitivity, enabling us to detect a higher proportion of things that are real. I feel very fortunate to be working at a place where I have this technology. It’s just that good,” he added.
Better Outcomes for Patients, Increased Confidence for Radiologists
The benefits of better detection are seen throughout the breast care center, reported Barai. At the hospital’s monthly breast cancer conferences, radiologists are presenting cases of tumors that are 3 and 4 mm in size. “They are more confident when they present a case with a suspicious lesion, which needs to be biopsied, and they are reporting fewer patients require additional images and follow-up.”
Superior Patient Care Is Good Business
The message of earlier detection is making a difference for women in the region. The hospital’s marketing campaign educating women on the value of 3D mammography is bringing many women to the breast center who previously had mammograms elsewhere. “Three-dimensional has been phenomenal for us,” stated Sanders. “In the short time since we acquired 3D mammography, we have seen almost 350 new patients walk through our doors, and we anticipate even more this year.”
Concluded Siatras, “From the radiologist’s standpoint, 3D mammography is an excellent tool. It is gratifying to find a really small cancer, knowing the patient can be cured, generally with minimal treatment. If 3D helps find even a few extra cancers a year, we have made a difference in people’s lives.”
Case study supplied by Hologic, Inc.
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July 29, 2024 
