Breast Imaging

Our Women’s Imaging Department has been designed for women’s comfort and privacy. We utilise the latest in breast imaging technology which integrates the use of 3D mammography, breast ultrasound, breast MRI and interventional procedures, including biopsies and FNAs, to provide a complete service in one location.​

​3D Mammography – tomosynthesis

3D mammography allows the reporting Radiologists to examine the breast tissue one layer at a time. The advantages to this include:​

• Reduces structure overlap, making small cancers clearer to see in areas of the breast that might be obscured on a 2D mammogram by dense breast tissue​
• Patient anxiety is decreased as recall rates for extra images are significantly reduced, as well as reducing unnecessary breast biopsies​

​Breast Ultrasound

Breast ultrasound is an excellent imaging technique for determining whether a breast mass, identified on physical exam or through mammography, is filled with fluid or is solid. Breast ultrasound, however, is less effective at searching the breast tissue for unknown abnormalities and therefore is not a substitute for a mammographic examination. In many cases, additional breast and lymph node diagnostic information is obtained using high-resolution ultrasound, which can help further clarify the nature of breast or lymph node lesions. Breast ultrasound is increasingly employed to provide additional, complementary, diagnostic information to mammography. ​

Breast MRI

Breast Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a safe and highly sensitive tool for imaging breasts. Breast MRI obtains high resolution images without compression or radiation. However, for the majority of patients, it does not replace routine mammograms. Magnetic resonance mammography is a valuable and highly sensitive tool for:​

• High risk screening for breast cancer​
• Women with a strong family history of breast cancer – two or more close relatives such as mother or sister​
• Women who have known mutations in the breast cancer genes BRCA1 and BRCA2​
• Women with a history of previously treated breast cancer​
• Women with very dense breast tissue​
• Evaluation of extent of disease​
• Women with biopsy proven carcinoma, DCIS or LCIS, to assess for extent of disease in both breasts​
• Implant assessment​
• Breast MRI can evaluate the integrity of breast implants without compression​

Breast Interventional Procedures

In some cases when an abnormality is detected , it is not possible to tell from the imaging studies alone whether it is benign or cancerous. In these cases, ultrasound biopsy or mammographic stereotactic guided breast biopsy is a highly accurate and minimally invasive way to provide the answer. ​

Our specially trained radiologists use MRI-guided breast biopsy to precisely locate and remove cells from a suspicious area in the breast for diagnosis and treatment planning. MRI-guided breast biopsy is most useful where there is breast abnormalities such as a suspicious mass not identified by other imaging techniques, an area of distortion or an area of abnormal tissue change.​

Breast Hookwire Localisation is performed to assist your surgeon to localise a particular area in your breast, prior to surgery. The area to be localised may be visible on your mammogram or ultrasound, but cannot be felt by your surgeon. A fine wire, called a hookwire, is inserted into the breast using x-ray or ultrasound guidance. Your surgeon uses this wire as a guide to find the area in your breast to be removed.​