Frye Regional Medical Center, a Duke LifePoint Hospital, announced Tuesday (April 4) the addition of automated breast ultrasound services at the Frye Regional Imaging Center. The center is located at 1781 Tate Blvd. SE, in Hickory. This makes Frye Regional the only health care organization in the Catawba Valley region to offer this new screening option.

The Automated Breast Ultrasound System (ABUS) is a non-invasive ultrasound examination, which is an adjunct to mammography for asymptomatic women with dense breast tissue. It is estimated that 40% of women in the United States have dense breast tissue, which can mask the appearance of tumors and limit the performance of mammography. Unlike traditional mammography, ABUS technology is not affected by breast density, and as a secondary screening examination, it can see through dense breast tissue and has been shown to demonstrate a significant improvement in cancer detection.

In early 2019, a national density inform law was passed that mandates that the FDA update mammography reporting so that women be notified if their breasts are dense. Providers may offer supplemental imaging as appropriate to help find cancers hiding in dense breast tissue.

The American Cancer Society recommends that women receive yearly mammograms beginning at the age of 40. If they have been informed that they have dense breast tissue, they should talk to their doctor about their specific risk and consider additional screening tests that might be appropriate. For more information about Frye Regional’s breast health program, visit MyFryeRegional.com/BreastHealth.