Mammography at Athens-Limestone Hospital will soon hurt less, take less time and provide much better detail than before.

Limestone County residents and surrounding area patients will now have access to new state-of-the-art technology at the hospital. The radiology department is going completely digital.

The hospital received a new digital mammography system Monday. It was purchased with hospital operations funds. Installation of the system is underway. It is expected to be up and running by the end of August.

The new Senographe® DS full-field, digital, mammography system acquired from GE Healthcare is the most modern mammography equipment available to patients today, officials said.

“This new, all-digital system is revolutionizing breast care by providing our patients with state-of-the-art mammograms that are faster, easier and more comfortable that ever before, while providing our physicians with highly detailed images to use in the diagnosis,” said Cary Payne, chief operating officer.

“ALH’s physicians and the patients of the Tennessee Valley region have a new and powerful tool in the detection and fight against breast cancer,” said Phil Dotson, chief executive officer.

Compared to the film mammography technology the hospital is currently using, the digital mammography will give physicians better detailed images that are computerized. The images are taken electronically and can be viewed, manipulated and stored on the computer. The images can also be given to patients on a CD to take with them for their records or to take to other doctors.

“Our board has been very pro-active in getting state-of-the-art technology to better service the community,” said Payne.

Both women in the 40s and men should be examined on a regular basis, he said.

According to the American Cancer Society, it was estimated that new cases of breast cancer were diagnosed among 211,240 women and 1,690 men in 2005. An estimated 40,870 women and 460 men were expected to die of this disease.

People with dense breast tissue, women who are premenopausal or perimenopausal, or women who are younger than 50 will benefit significantly from a digital mammography. The image is much more detailed. The digital images give the physicians a way to highlight, zoom-in and out, and analyze the breast more closely.

Exam times are almost cut in half at only 10 to 15 minutes. There is also less radiation exposure for the patient. The exam includes the same positioning, but the compression may be slightly less and therefore more comfortable for the patient, said Dotson. The ergonomic paddle shapes also make the patient more comfortable because they are shaped to the breast, which also optimizes the tissue present for viewing. Compression speed of the paddle is slower.

The Senographe DS is also equipped with computer aided detection (CAD) software. The CAD software is “similar to a spell check for the mammogram,” said Gina Hanserd, director of community relations.

The CAD software pinpoints possible problematic areas in the image for the physician to review, possibly detecting areas that could be overlooked for various reasons. The software is especially effective in identifying microcalcifications in the breast, some of which can indicate a malignant process.

“Needle placement should also be easier with the enhancement of the image for biopsies,” said Dotson.

In other developments at the hospital, the Diagnostic Services Department will soon upgrade its MRI, 32-slice CT scanner, bone density and ultrasound to the 64-slice CT scanner. This means blood flow can be measured easier, and there will be more images faster for review.

“This is easier to help with children as well, because there are much more accurate scans with a shorter scan time,” said Payne.

The hospital will feature its new radiology equipment and changes to the radiology waiting area in October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Events will be announced.