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UT Health East Texas has new mobile 3D mammogram, hopes to help rural east Texans

Michael Klouda, a radiology specialist with UT Health East Texas Breast Care, said this is a great opportunity to reach women in rural areas who might otherwise not have access to screening options.

UT Health East Texas expects to help hundreds of women detect, prevent and treat breast cancer with its new mobile 3D mammogram unit. Doctors believe the 3D technology will help prevent or catch and treat breast cancer more effectively than older models.

Michael Klouda, a radiology specialist with UT Health East Texas Breast Care, said this is a great opportunity to reach women in rural areas who might otherwise not have access to screening options.

“If you think about it, there are hundreds of people who are not able to make it in to Tyler for these screenings,” Klouda said.

The 3D technology gives doctors a clearer picture of breast tissue, without having to worry about missing any tumors or overlapping tissue appearing as a tumor. This means that there is less chance of a false alarm, Klouda said.

The $1.1 million mobile mammogram center, which Klouda said is the only mobile 3D mammogram in the region, will hit the road in East Texas in August.

Anyone interested in having the mobile mammogram center come to their business or event can call director Regina Davis at 903-596-3190. The center typically performs 20 mammograms a day.

UT Health East Texas spokeswoman Rebecca Berkley said while most insurance plans cover 100 percent of mammogram costs, women without insurance or whose insurance does not cover mammograms may qualify for a Komen grant.

Patients will be greeted inside a specially-designed recreational vehicle, where there is a waiting room. They will wait until it is time to go back and have the mammogram done. The machine is set up in a private room at the back of the vehicle.

The mammogram is quick, Klouda said, though the 3D imaging does take a little longer than a traditional 2D mammogram.

“We’re working with the latest and the greatest here,” Klouda said. “This technology helps us move further down the line and detect problems when they are smaller, detect them sooner. This is lifesaving when the name of the game is breast cancer detection.”

To schedule an individual mammogram, call 866-333-3862.

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