Baptist Health Breast Center-Fort Smith now offers a breast cancer screening option specifically for women with dense breast tissue.

The center is the first in the River Valley to offer the Invenia ABUS, or Automated Breast Ultrasound System, in adjunct to mammography for asymptomatic women with dense breast tissue and no prior interventions.

Over 40% of women in the U.S. have dense breast tissue which can mask the appearance of tumors and limit the performance of mammography. Automated whole breast ultrasound can see through dense tissue and find small cancers that may not be seen on mammography because they are hidden by normal, dense breast tissue.

The Invenia ABUS 2.0 System is designed to enhance the consistency, reproducibility, and sensitivity of breast ultrasound, demonstrating a 35.7 percent improvement in cancer detection in women with dense breasts without prior breast intervention.

“It is a privilege for Baptist Health Breast Center-Fort Smith to provide this new technology to the River Valley,” said James Ireland, MD, radiologist. “ABUS has the potential to reduce false positives, improve sensitivity and diagnostic accuracy of breast lesions in patients who have a history of dense breasts. We are proud to offer this level of care closer to home.”

Baptist Health recommends women get an annual mammogram starting at age 40. If they have dense tissue, they should talk to their doctor or radiologist about their specific risk and any additional screening that might be appropriate. All mammography reports issued at Baptist Health indicate the patient’s breast tissue density and are available through the MyChart patient portal.

To schedule a mammogram or learn more about your risk for breast cancer, visit Bapt istHealthMammo. com or call 1-888-BAPTIST.