Thank you for choosing Greater Waterbury Imaging Center for your MRI needs!  Every month we like to send an informative email to our audience on timely topics relevant to your health and well being.  The month of October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month and we have devoted the majority of our newsletter on this very important topic.  Thanks for reading our newsletter!
Breast Anatomy
National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Breast cancer is the second most common kind of cancer in women. About 1 in 8 women born today in the United States will get breast cancer at some point. Here are some sobering facts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC:
  • each year in the U.S., more than 200,000 women get breast cancer and more than 40,000 women die from the disease
  • men also get breast cancer, but it is not very common - less than 1% of breast cancers occur in men
  • most breast cancers are found in women who are 50 years old or older, but breast cancer also affects younger women
  • about 11% of all new cases of breast cancer in the United States are found in women younger than 45 years of age
The good news is that many women can survive breast cancer if it's found and treated early. A mammogram - the screening test for breast cancer - can help find breast cancer early when it's easier to treat.

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month is a chance to raise awareness about the importance of early detection of breast cancer. And you can make a difference by spreading the word about early detection and screening.
Breast MRI Image
What is Breast MRI?

Breast MRI uses Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to look specifically at the breast. It is a non-invasive procedure that doctors can use to determine what the inside of the breast looks like without having to do surgery or flatten the breast (as in a mammogram).

Each exam produces hundreds of images of the breast, cross-sectional in all three directions (side-to-side, top-to-bottom, front-to-back), which are then read by a Radiologist. No radioactivity is involved, and the technique is believed to have no health hazards in general. The hope is that such non-invasive studies will contribute to our progress in learning how to predict the behavior of tumors, and in selecting proper treatments.  Here are more resources on when and why Breast MRI is done for breast cancer detection:

When is Breast MRI Indicated for Diagnostic Imaging?

One of the most common cancers affecting women in the world today is breast cancer. When detected early, the overall survival rate is high. X-ray mammography is the diagnostic tool of choice to screen for this cancer, which uses radiation in small doses delivered to the breasts to produce images that help point out the absence or presence of disease. However, there may be times when magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and specifically breast MRI is indicated to evaluate the breast tissue in greater detail:
  • Screening for women at high risk for breast cancer
  • Detailed evaluation of the breast after a diagnosis of breast cancer
  • Further assessing abnormalities in the breast when mammography and ultrasound do not give definitive results
  • Evaluating the breast after cancer treatment
  • Evaluation of breast implants
  • Providing guidance imaging for breast biopsies
Breast MRI makes use of radio frequency waves, a large powerful magnet and sophisticated computer technology to produce images of the breast in three dimensions. Before the test, a contrast dye may be injected in a vein as it helps the doctor to see the abnormality more clearly. As the dye may affect the function of the kidneys, the doctor performs a test on the kidneys before the solution is given to ensure that they are not affected.



ICD-10 Benefits for Patients

ICD-10 was put into effect on October 1, 2015. This is a major change in how patient medical records are coded, and will impact every part of the healthcare system including physician offices, hospitals, laboratories, insurance companies, and others.

The entire healthcare industry in the U.S. is making the shift from ICD-9 (International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems) to ICD-10. ICD-10 is designed to capture more information about a patient's diagnosis as well as the services you received-this will help us to ensure that you are getting the right care, in the right place, at the right time.

Per the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), there are clear benefits to both patients and providers by transitioning to ICD-10 - this is a summary of the clinical benefits for patients and visit the CMS site for more detail on all the benefits:
  • Better data which better informs clinical decisions
  • More specific documentation of patient diseases which provides new insights into patients and clinical care
  • Improve the care of higher acuity patients with patient segmentation
  • Improve care protocols and clinical pathways for health conditions
  • Better tracking of illnesses and public health reporting
  • More opportunity for research and clinical trials

Sue Castelli R.T (R) M
Operations Manager
InSight Imaging/ CDI
Greater Waterbury Imaging
Office Phone- 203- 573-7103

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