The Irene and Leslie Dubé Centre of Care Breast Heath Centre at Saskatoon City Hospital now has a new mammography camera in place.

Saskatoon City Hospital Foundation (SCHF) and the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) partnered to bring in the new camera. with the Foundation funding half of the $500,000 cost.

The Hologic3Dimensions Mammography system was purchased with the goal of having it in place by the end of February and becoming operational mid-March. Executive Director of Medical Imaging for the SHA Richard Dagenais says the system was crucial in helping continue to meet increasing demand from across the province.

The new equipment is described as providing functional and technological advances, including paddles that are more comfortable for the patient, sharper image quality, and better ergonomic design for the mammography technologists. In a news release it is explained that the camera can perform contrast-enhanced mammography which can reveal cancer that is otherwise hidden by normal breast tissue. The technology can also be used to plan breast cancer surgery by mapping the location of the tumours, and to assess the body’s response to chemotherapy.

The Irene and Leslie Dubé Centre of Care Breast Health Centre was established in 2006 and expanded in 2012.