Mercy Medical Center Now Offers Cutting-Edge Genius™ 3D Mammography™ Exams from Hologic

Mercy Medical Center is now offering patients Genius™ 3D Mammography™ exams featuring 3DQuorum technology developed by Hologic, Inc., said Deepa Masrani, M.D., Director, The Tyanna O'Brien Center for Women's Imaging at Mercy.

Utilizing advanced 3D breast mammography technology, Genius exams are clinically proven to significantly increase the detection of breast cancers and to decrease the number of women asked to return for additional testing.

“In conventional mammography, smaller breast cancers may be missed and normal tissue may appear as abnormal; this is typically due to the problem of overlapping tissue, leading to unnecessary patient callbacks. A Genius exam includes a three-dimensional method of imaging that can greatly reduce this overlap effect,” Dr. Masrani said.

A 3D screening mammogram (known as tomosynthesis) is a low-dose X-ray examination of the breast tissue recommended for women on a routine basis as part of an overall preventative health plan. Tomosynthesis is the most advanced mammographic technology currently available. Through a landmark gift and investment from a generous donor, Mercy Medical Center was an early adopter of 3D technology.

“And now, with the Genius 3D system, we take this technology a step further. The Genius AI Detection Technology is designed to identify potential cancers in breast tomosynthesis images with high accuracy and with a false positive rate that is much lower than in earlier software. This equates to about one additional cancer detected for every 10 cancers identified by the radiologist,” Dr. Masrani said.

During tomosynthesis, an X-ray arm sweeps over the breast, taking multiple images. These images are then converted via computer into a stack of thin layers, allowing the radiologist to review the breast tissue one layer at a time. 

“The technology utilizes the Genius AI-powered analytics to reconstruct high-resolution, 3D data and produce six-millimeter ‘SmartSlices.’ The SmartSlices are designed to expedite radiologist reading time by reducing the number of images to review with no loss in image quality, sensitivity or accuracy. A radiologist reading SmartSlices has the number of 3D images to review reduced by two-thirds. This frees up more time for the radiologist to spend with the patient, addressing their questions and concerns,” Dr. Masrani explained.

The Genius 3D Mammography exam provides a superior option for women of all breast densities than 2D alone. Research has found that:

• The Genius 3D Mammography exam finds 20-65% more invasive breast cancers than 2D alone, an average increase of 41%.
• Only the Genius 3D Mammography exam is FDA approved as superior for women with dense breasts compared to 2D alone.
• The Genius 3D Mammography exam reduces callbacks by up to 40% compared to 2D alone.

“Mercy Medical Center’s team of radiologists, breast surgeons and other breast cancer specialists are committed to helping women determine the best breast cancer treatment options for their specific needs, guiding them through the diagnosis, treatment and healing process. By adding the Genius exam to our arsenal in the fight against breast cancer, we offer patients a more accurate tool for breast cancer screening,” said Neil B. Friedman, M.D., FACS, Director of The Hoffberger Breast Center at Mercy and Medical Director of The Weinberg Center for Women's Health and Medicine at Mercy.