PEKIN, Ill. – New breast cancer detection technology has arrived at a Carle Health Peoria-area facility.
It’s already at Carle’s Methodist facility in Peoria, among other facilities, but what’s called ABUS technology has made its way to Pekin Hospital.
It can be used on patients with denser breasts for a more targeted exam, detecting potential cancers that otherwise wouldn’t be found until years later in someone’s life.
“With all the advanced equipment we have here, it’s kind of a hidden gem here in Pekin, said Ryan Morris, Director of Medical Imaging Services, Carle Health Greater Peoria, referring to the equipment and the overall Women’s Imaging Center in Pekin. “It’s a space where women can go and get the advanced tests they need without having to leave the community. It’s just one of those things where we work very hard to have that skill and technology to take care of our community.”
Morris says it’s important for women to still get yearly mammogram, but now it will be possible for them to get a second scan with ABUS, if needed.
A Carle Health Pekin Hospital employee shows the ABUS image that detected a rare breast cancer-related tumor inside Jennifer Gardner, a registered diagnostic medical stenographer at Pekin Hospital, who agreed to be a test subject. (Will Stevenson/1470 & 100.3 WMBD)
That’s what ended up happening with Jennifer Gardner, who had a mammogram done in April.
“It came back with a possible four millimeter lesion in my left breast, and was recommended to get a targeted ultrasound,” said Gardner. “I had the targeted ultrasound done by one of my coworkers and friends, and it did show a mass, and it was recommended to get biopsied.”
Gardner says the result was the discovery of a rare tumor — adenomyoepithelioma — that would never have been found so early, had it not been for ABUS.
It will get removed at the end of the month, all because Gardner — a registered diagnostic medical stenographer at Pekin — agreed to be tested in order for others to train on the machine.
A dedication ceremony and ribbon-cutting Thursday marked the formal opening of the new ABUS technology.
