BMH cancer services locally include surgery, medical oncology, chemotherapy, physical therapy, dietary counseling, and survivorship programs. Our “state-of-the-art” imaging includes digital mammography, ultrasound, bone densitometry, CT scanning and stereotactic biopsy. Watch for upcoming breast MRI technology at BMH. Most of these services are located in the Richards Building on the BMH campus.
Technical Breast Services
Digital mammography uses computers and specially designed digital detectors to produce an image that can be displayed on a high resolution computer monitor. When reading the results of a digital mammogram, the radiologist is better able to manipulate the image on the computer to see through the breast more clearly. Digital mammography feels identical to conventional screening from a patient’s perspective, though women may notice shorter exam times and a reduction in return visits to obtain additional imaging. More on Digital Mammography, click here.
Breast ultrasound, also known as sonography or ultrasonography, is frequently used by Brattleboro Memorial Hospital physicians to evaluate breast abnormalities that are found with screening or diagnostic mammography or during a physician-performed clinical breast exam. The ultrasound is a procedure in which high-energy sound waves are bounced off internal tissues or organs and make echoes. The echo patterns are shown on the screen of an ultrasound machine, forming a picture of body tissues.
Ultrasound is excellent at imaging cysts: round, fluid-filled, pockets inside the breast. Additionally, ultrasound can often quickly determine if a suspicious area is in fact a cyst or an increased density of solid tissue which may require a biopsy to determine if it is malignant (cancerous). For more on ultrasounds, click here.
