Complimentary Story
Summer 2026June is National Men’s Health Month. I have done articles each year on that subject. Not that I have run out of topics, but I need to step back a month to discuss something new.
Looking back a month, May is Women’s Health Month. Another topic rich for subject matter. But, what is new and interesting pertaining to women’s health?
Breast cancer is the number one cancer in women. It is usually the number two cause of cancer death coming in behind lung cancer (you’ve come a long way, baby). Roughly 12 percent of women will be affected by breast cancer. While today’s treatments may seem to be unpleasant, historically, advanced breast cancer was a horrific way to die. Our collective memory just has no way to process what it was like a hundred years ago.
Mammography has been the standard of screening for decades. Many attempts to find something more accurate or more comfortable have been explored, but always fall short in one way or another. However, new ways to apply old technology are certainly moving in to challenge the standard.
Ultrasound has been around for many years. If something doesn’t appear quite right, an ultrasound of that area is often used to get another perspective. Technician-directed ultrasounds are quite accurate and can scan a suspect area quite well giving the radiologist a better idea of what that abnormal area could be. With all due respect to the ultrasound technicians out there, screening ultrasounds can be less than ideal, but many women choose to do this instead of mammograms. Ultrasound is a lot like looking through a tube. You can only see what is at the end of the tube. If the probe is not directed at an area, there is no picture of that area. Ultrasound works well when directed at a target. Overall screening presents an opportunity to miss something.
In the last couple of years, automated whole breast ultrasounds have become available. These are exactly as the title sounds, whole. The ultrasound collection method ensures that no area is missed. This is a game changer.
Mammograms will likely remain the gold standard for some time. At this time, it is the only technique that identifies micro-calcifications, an early hallmark of cancer. But there are limitations. There are a couple of standard screening schedules. The more aggressive schedule recommends annual mammograms every year starting at age 40. Given the number of repeat mammograms due to concerns noted on the initial mammogram, this could result in 60 mammograms in a lifetime.
While techniques have been developed to reduce radiation exposure, I am concerned that this is a lot of radiation to radiation-sensitive tissue. In the last few years, there has been an emphasis on pointing out dense breast tissue. This condition exists in 40-50 percent of women over age 40. The concern about dense breast tissue is that it becomes harder to see some of the earliest and most subtle changes that may indicate an early cancer. Then add to this a large group of women who are resistant to getting a mammogram for one reason or another and there is room for new technologies for early breast cancer detection.
I am still primarily a conventional Family Physician. I find myself interested in more wholistic health opportunities though. Some of that is driven by my patients’ interest in health ideas not generally embraced by the corporate clinic. Some of it is driven by me believing there must be something out there that meets a need and fills a gap. The automated whole breast ultrasound meets both of those criteria. There are a few different manufacturers of whole breast ultrasound, but this technology is very new and few places offer such exams. After reviewing the information about the devices I could find, my office space and their equipment space requirements were not compatible. Until I found iSono. Going forward, this will probably sound a bit like an advertisement. Sorry. Not sorry. I feel that this is just too important to not discuss here.
This ultrasound is not much larger in diameter than a salad plate. The woman wears a harness with cups that the ultrasound attaches to. Ultrasound typically uses a gel to ensure an uninterrupted interface between the probe and the patient. In this case, warm water is used.
The ultrasound probe makes two circular swings to capture all the tissue inside the cup. This means that no area gets missed. The scan takes about two minutes per side and the total exam time is 30-40 minutes. The images captured can be reconstructed in several ways for the radiologist to review. One view looks like a long strip, another looks like a CT or MRI where the “slices” can be viewed sequentially and yet another view can reconstruct the image into a three dimensional view. This is a whole new world of screening. There is minimal pressure on the breast and no radiation. Ultrasound doesn’t care about dense breast tissue as it sees right through that. Ultrasound does not see micro-calcifications though, and this is probably it’s biggest limitation and why it should not be considered a complete and direct replacement for mammograms. However, it is better than banking on being one of the 88 percent of women who will not develop breast cancer, only to find out too late you are one of the 12 percent that has developed it. The other advantage to this type of screening is that anyone who is high risk, starting at age 25, qualifies for the test. The current recommended screening interval is one year, just like a conventional mammogram.
I have no doubts that whole breast ultrasound will become a standard of care at some point in the near future. The limitations of mammography and dense breast tissue will demand it.
While there are other products out there, iSono is going to be the most affordable and accessible because of it’s size. This is cutting edge technology.
Our clinic, Genesis Primary Care, is only one of 10 medical centers in the United States to offer iSono and the only one in the upper Midwest. When I started looking at this type of technology to fill a need with my patients, little did I realize that I could offer something so unique to patients. We have had just a few patients through the test to refine our technique. Their testimonials about the comfort and ease of the test speak volumes about the future of it. It is exciting to be part of the next generation of medical advancements. I never anticipated that little ole Genesis could spark a revolution, but it seems like it might just have.
Watch our website for additional information and when you can schedule your appointment.
GenesisPrimaryCare.com
