Shands Jacksonville and the University of Florida have opened the new Advanced Breast Imaging Center, a state-of-the-art facility located at 4555 Emerson St., Suite 120. One of fewer than 20 centers of its kind in the United States, it is the only one in the region to offer some of the most advanced services.
While the center offers digital mammography with computer-aided diagnosis, it also offers two of the latest ultrasound services – 3-D automated breast ultrasound and elastography, which offer a non-invasive means to further evaluate a mass detected by mammogram. The 3-D automated breast ultrasound allows the physician to simultaneously evaluate the width, length and depth of the area being imaged, thereby enabling physicians to produce consistent, reproducible images. Elastography evaluates the elasticity of the edges of breast “lumps” or masses to aid in predicting potential malignancy and help avoid unnecessary breast biopsies.
The center also provides bone densitometry – a test that measures the amount of mineralization in the bones. This exam helps evaluate osteoporosis and other bone-deteriorating conditions.
Susan Snodgrass, M.D., a UF College of Medicine-Jacksonville associate professor of radiology and division chief of mammography and women’s imaging, said the center will be a great asset for patients because of its convenient location, cutting-edge technology and ongoing early breast cancer diagnosis research.
“I am extremely excited about this new venue for women’s imaging,” said Snodgrass. “In addition to the usual diagnostic avenues available to our patients relevant to breast imaging, I hope the research that we plan to pursue will help to streamline diagnostic pathways in the diagnosis of early breast cancer.”
The center is open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information call (904) 633-0275.