One in eight women in America will get breast cancer.

Fortunately, the Archbold Women’s Center is making the detection of breast cancer more accessible for women.

Starting Saturday, April 18, the Women’s Center will offer the convenience of digital mammograms one Saturday each month from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. As demand for the weekend service increases, the center will offer mammograms on additional Saturdays each month.

“Digital mammography is excellent technology,” said Joe Barron, director of radiology at Archbold. “By providing this service on Saturdays, we are targeting working women or the busy mom who has a hard time scheduling a mammogram during the week.”

Digital mammograms are much like traditional film mammograms, but the digital method provides better image quality.

The national Digital Mammographic Imaging Screening Trial revealed that digital mammography is significantly better in screening women in three categories: those under 50, those with dense breasts and those at any pre-menopausal age (final menstrual period within 12 months of a mammogram). The results suggest that—for detecting breast cancer—women who fall into these three subgroups may benefit more from digital mammography than conventional film mammography.

“Digital mammography is an exceptional addition to our list of services,” said Radiologist Jacqueline Smith M.D. “This technology reduces the time the patient spends in the mammogram room while still offering high quality mammography and patient care.”

The National Cancer Institute, American Cancer Society and the American College of Radiology recommend annual mammograms for women over 40. Those with high risk for breast cancer, a strong family history of breast or ovarian cancer or those who have had radiation treatment to the chest are recommended to begin annual mammograms at 30.

The Saturday mammography service will only be available for women who need a routine screening mammogram and not a diagnostic mammogram.