New 3D Automated Breast Ultrasound (ABUS) Available to Health House Customers

At Health House, our concern is always being proactive about your health and bringing you the most up to date beneficial information.

John Gofman, M.D., Ph.D., a nuclear physicist and medical doctor is one of the leading experts in the world on the dangers of radiation. He presents compelling evidence in his book, Radiation from Medical Procedures in the Pathogenesis of Cancer and Ischemic Heart Disease, that over 50 percent of the death-rate from cancer is in fact induced  by x-rays

Unfortunately, a mammogram uses ionizing radiation at a relatively high dose, which, in and of itself, can contribute to the development of breast cancer. Mammograms expose your body to radiation that can be 1,000 times greater than that from a chest x-ray, which we know poses a cancer risk. Mammography also compresses your breasts tightly, which could lead to a dangerous spread of cancerous cells, should they exist.

X-rays and other classes of ionizing radiation have been, for decades, a proven cause of virtually all types of biological mutations. When such mutations are not cell-lethal, they endure and accumulate with each additional exposure to x-rays or other ionizing radiation.

X-rays are also an established cause of genomic instability, often a characteristic of the most aggressive cancers.

Additionally, radiation risks are about four times greater for the 1 to 2 percent of women who are silent carriers of the A-T (ataxia-telangiectasia) gene, which by some estimates accounts for up to 20 percent of all breast cancers diagnosed annually.

When everything is taken into account, reducing exposure to medical radiation, such as unnecessary mammograms, would likely reduce mortality rates.

The practice of screening mammography itself poses significant and cumulative risks of breast cancer, especially for premenopausal women.

Making matters even worse, false positive diagnoses are very common, as high as 89 percent, leading many women to be unnecessarily and harmfully treated by mastectomy, more radiation, or chemotherapy.

There are instances where mammography may be warranted. But the fact remains that there are other technologies that are proven to be more effective, less expensive, and completely harmless, that can save far more lives. 

 3D Automated Breast Ultrasound (ABUS) is the newest and most powerful screening tool available for helping women proactively manage their breast health, providing them with greater peace of mind.

    The biggest challenge, still facing women in the fight against breast cancer, is being able to safely access accurate screening data early and often enough to understand the status of their breast health. This would allow them to take corrective action sooner, if required, and avoid more invasive medical intervention.

We are strongly encouraging our customers, who don’t know enough about their breast health, especially those who are avoiding or are having difficulty (ie. age) accessing mammography, to consider the benefits of 3D Automated Breast Ultrasound (ABUS).  There are so many great reasons for choosing ABUS as an accurate breast screening tool, especially in the preventative, asymptomatic stages. ABUS is Health Canada approved for breast cancer screening as an adjunct to mammography; however, it can be better than mammography at identifying tumors for women with dense breasts. You also don’t need a doctor’s referral to routinely access the team of specially-trained Sonographers and Radiologists who provide exceptional 3D breast ultrasound imaging data and interpretation. 

You will gain confidence knowing that your breasts have been well mapped for accurate localization, characterization, and sizing of potential breast masses, without experiencing heavy compression or radiation exposure(s).  Although ABUS is not yet covered under OHIP, it may be partially or fully covered by extended health insurance under naturopathic or medical diagnostics.

Remove the Fear of Finding a Breast Tumour by Accessing ABUS Sooner

    As a female matures through puberty, their increasing production of estrogen raises the risk for developing breast cancer throughout life.  This risk is enhanced, over time, by other factors. These include her exposure to environmental estrogens and other toxins, her genetic susceptibility for developing breast cancer, and her ability to detoxify estrogens and other toxins.  Reducing this risk means optimizing the liver's capacity for detoxification and the thyroid’s ability to stimulate the immune system.  Generally speaking, the eventual development of a breast tumour is often proceeded by decades of small gradual changes in the physiology and structure of the breast tissue that can include fibrous, cystic, nodular, and lesional tissue changes. All of these can be detected earlier using ABUS and proactively treated using less invasive protocols.  

Automated Breast Ultrasound (ABUS^TM) Is Needed by All Women

Too many women are mistakenly waiting until an actual tumour develops before addressing their breast health. Women of all generations, especially younger women, now have the opportunity to proactively observe structural changes safely and comfortably using ABUS, regardless of age or medical history, which are limitations in accessing OHIP-covered breast screening.  ABUS offers, for the first time, a powerful screening tool to monitor changes in breast structure over time which can be incorporated into a life-long healthy breast program that can significantly reduce the risk of unexpectedly being diagnosed with a tumour.  It is especially useful for higher risk women, in particular, dense-breasted women, who are averse to the risks of routine radiation exposure and the heavy compression of mammography, which can actually increase breast cancer risk.  It is also ideal for women with a surgical history of breast implants or who have post-operative or scarred breast tissue. For those who have previously accessed thermography to monitor physiologic changes, ABUS is a better choice for determining whether there are any structural changes of concern.  If you’ve had a mammogram or are planning one in the near future, please note that ABUS can offer additional and sometimes better diagnostic information, especially if you have dense/fibrous breast tissue or if you have received inconclusive results. Saving $1 a day for one year will pay for an ABUS scan and give you the knowledge about your breast health. This will help you make smarter and easier decisions sooner and improve the quality of your life.

Technical Attributes of ABUS

ABUS is the newest 3D ultrasound medical device exclusively developed and designed for use in breast screening from U-Systems of California, a GE Healthcare Company.  This technology is both FDA and Health Canada approved as an adjunct to mammography for breast cancer screening, especially for asymptomatic women with dense breast tissue.It delivers exceptional 3D image quality in localizing, characterizing and sizing breast masses as well as differentiating the vast majority of benign conditions such as cysts and fibrous tissue. ABUS reports are generated by specially trained and licensed Radiologists whose findings of breast structure can be used with confidence. 

Are You Dense … About Your Breasts?

Up to 40% of Caucasian and 70% of Asian women have denser breast tissue, which is associated with a five-fold increased risk of breast cancer.  If your breasts are dense or fibrous, there is also an increased risk of not detecting cancer when screening, using mammography alone.  Screening with 3D ABUS before mammography can increase detection rates for breast cancer in dense breasts from 48% to 97%, making treatment programs more successful because they can be initiated sooner. If cancer lesions remain undetected when screening using mammography alone, the standard follow-up 2D ultrasound may not be readily available to you under OHIP.  If you are under 50, without a family history of breast cancer, you may not be considered for any screening under OHIP.  For these women, an ABUS scan is an ideal way to answer questions about your breast health earlier.  Although ABUS does not replace mammography, it can significantly increase the detection rate of breast cancer earlier for women with dense breasts.

If you suspect that you have higher density, consider ABUS to ensure that your screening is as accurate as possible.

208-5 Quarry Ridge Road

Barrie, ON, L4M 7G1

(T) 1-800-460-6290

(F) 705-300-3647

www.previewbreastscreening.com