SYRACUSE, N.Y. — In the health-care sector, it’s known as a digital tomosynthesis unit and more commonly referred to as a 3D mammography machine. 

Such a unit went online in early October at the Hadley J. Falk Breast Health Center at Crouse Hospital. 

The Saint Agatha Foundation provided $406,000 to help Crouse Health purchase the unit, which replaced an older version of the technology that was also funded through Saint Agatha support.

Later in the month, Crouse Health says it started using a second 3D unit, purchased through a Saint Agatha Foundation grant and a matching grant from JMA Wireless.

Crouse Health Foundation, the fundraising arm of Crouse Hospital, on Oct. 25 announced the acquisition of the new units with the help of $800,000 in donations. They’re devices that “improve early breast cancer detection and save lives,” Crouse Health said.

The addition of both machines coincides with Breast Cancer Awareness Month, according to Crouse Health. They also hold special meaning to the donors as well.

“These machines are a testament to the legacy of my sister, Laurie, who was a tireless advocate for breast cancer awareness and founded Saint Agatha during her own battle with the disease,” John Mezzalingua, CEO of JMA Wireless, said in a release. “Laurie’s message to our family was clear: Early detection saves lives. We have taken her words to heart and are continuing her fight on behalf of breast cancer patients. We are proud to be able to carry on Laurie’s important work by investing in the most high-tech 3D mammography machines available to make early detection possible for more Central New Yorkers.”

Amid her own battle with breast cancer, Laurie Mezzalingua founded the Saint Agatha Foundation in 2004 to provide financial assistance to individuals fighting the disease in Central New York. 

The foundation provides support, comfort, and care to uninsured and underinsured breast-cancer patients in Onondaga, Cortland, Cayuga, Madison, Oneida, Oswego, and Jefferson counties. 

Led by Laurie’s mother, Kathleen Mezzalingua, since Laurie’s death in 2009, the foundation has provided more than $17 million to 10,032 men and women. 

“Saint Agatha Foundation is proud to assist Crouse Hospital with the purchase of new tomosynthesis technology, providing the most advanced screening available and aiding in the earliest detection possible for those who may have breast cancer,” Kathleen Mezzalingua, board chair of the Saint Agatha Foundation, said in the release. “Earlier detection means better outcomes for treatment and that is our hope. My daughter Laurie was always appreciative of the care provided by Dr. Stephen Montgomery and team following her surgery and treatment at Crouse Hospital during her battle with breast cancer.”

About 3D mammography

The technology, digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT), uses X-rays to create 3D images of the inside of the breast, producing the “highest resolution results available and making it easier” for radiologists to spot small abnormalities — including in difficult-to-detect dense breast tissue — while using the lowest possible dose of radiation, per the Crouse Health announcement. 

Research has shown that DBT can increase cancer detection rates by up to 25 percent compared to standard 2D mammography alone. It can “better pinpoint” even smaller breast calcifications, “enabling an earlier start to potentially life-saving treatment.” 

The new machines made possible by JMA Wireless and the Saint Agatha Foundation also position Crouse Health to be an early adopter of the next revolution in breast cancer detection: Contrast-based imaging, per its news release.