This Morning’s agony aunt Denise Robertson has unveiled a new state-of-the art mammography system.
The equipment, costing £300,000, was unveiled in a ceremony at the University Hospital of North Durham at the beginning of May.
County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the Durham Hospital, is the first in the region to offer the new high-tech 3D screening, which improves the early detection rate of breast cancer.
Dr Robin Mitchell, medical director for the trust, said: “We are delighted that Denise was able to join us for this event and would like to thank her for the support she has given to the service.
“We have made a significant investment in the new equipment which will provide us with better images and create a more comfortable experience for patients.”
Dr Julie Cox, radiology consultant at the trust, said: “This is a significant investment, improving the experience for local women by having their mammograms on state-of-the-art digital equipment, which improves visualisation of the breast tissue, especially in younger women.
“The new mammography machine enables images to be viewed on computer screens and then be sent on to experts to interpret at a push of a button.”
Breast imaging with mammography involves having two X-ray pictures of each breast. If breast cancer is found early, it is more likely that patients will be able to have breast-conserving surgery. It is also more likely that they will have a greater chance of surviving breast cancer in the long-term.