PHOENIX — Artificial intelligence and cutting-edge surgical tools are increasing early detection and speeding up recovery times for women in Arizona. That's the focus of this month's Check Up AZ roundtable discussion.
You can stream this Check Up AZ roundtable on the ABC15 Streaming App right now or catch it on our livestream Saturday and Sunday at noon!
Not all mammogram AI is the same
For women today, mammograms are more advanced than ever. At Arizona Diagnostic Radiology and Breastlink Arizona, patients now have access to Enhanced Breast Cancer Detection (EBCD), an advanced AI-powered mammography program designed to help detect cancers earlier and with greater confidence.
EBCD combines FDA-cleared artificial intelligence with a unique clinical review process that goes beyond the AI tools offered at many other imaging facilities.
While many AI systems simply place marks on an image for a radiologist to review, EBCD adds an extra layer of protection through an AI-supported “Safeguard Review” workflow.
If the AI identifies an area that may need closer attention, the exam can receive additional review by a breast imaging specialist — creating added support alongside the radiologist’s interpretation.
This is especially important for women with dense breast tissue, where cancers can be harder to see on mammograms.
Recent evidence from the landmark ASSURE study — one of the largest real-world AI breast screening studies ever conducted in the United States — evaluated more than 579,000 mammograms across 109 imaging centers and found that the AI-powered workflow behind EBCD increased cancer detection rates by 21.6% overall and by 22.7% in women with dense breasts.
For patients, EBCD means an added layer of review, more advanced technology, and greater confidence in breast cancer screening — all with the goal of finding cancers earlier, when treatment options may be more effective.
For more information about Enhanced Breast Cancer Detection or to schedule a screening mammogram, visit arizonadiagnosticradiology.com.
The AI-Supported Safeguard Review Evaluation (“ASSURE”) is the largest real-world U.S. study to validate the clinical impact of an AI-enabled breast cancer screening workflow in community imaging practice.
New technologies are reshaping the future of breast cancer surgery
For many women facing breast cancer, surgery day arrives with an unexpected feeling: relief.
The scans, the biopsies, the waiting - finally, something is happening.
But the questions don't stop at the pre-op door. They shift. Will they get it all? What will pathology show? Surgery isn't the end of uncertainty. It's where a new chapter begins.
That new chapter is now more promising than ever, thanks to a wave of advanced technologies being deployed in surgical suites here in Arizona and across the country.
Our Terri Ouellette sits down with Dr. Sommer Gunia, a breast surgical oncologist with HonorHealth, to discuss how emerging innovations are quietly transforming breast cancer surgery in ways patients can actually feel.
From magnetic nanoparticle technology designed to make lumpectomy and mastectomy procedures less invasive, to optical coherence tomography and AI that helps surgeons see difficult-to-detect cancer, today’s most advanced technologies are giving surgeons a level of precision that hasn’t been possible to date.
For patients, this may mean fewer surgeries, less anesthesia and interruption, and getting back to the activities they enjoy more quickly.
Technology is only part of the story, according to Dr. Gunia. What matters most is that patients are empowered and informed. That means understanding which questions to ask, the options that exist, and what new innovations mean for health, appearance, and recovery.
Here is a link for patients to learn more.
