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Breast cancer survivor to throw first pitch for Mariners Sunday, credits 3D mammogram for detection

SEATTLE — A West Seattle breast cancer survivor has been chosen as the honorary bat girl for the Seattle Mariners and this Sunday she'll throw out the first pitch.

Part of Dianne Munroe's story is how new 3D mammogram technology caught her cancer early.  KIRO 7 met up with her doctor at Franciscan Highline Cancer Center to get details on how it works.

In 2016, Munroe decided to delay her annual mammogram so she could use the new 3D tomography machine that she learned Franciscan was getting.

“So I actually delayed it about three months and I'm glad I did,” Munroe told KIRO 7.  “Because if I hadn't and had done the 2D in April, it might have been like 15 months before it got detected.”

Her surgeon, Dr. Ani Fleisig, explained 3D tomography made a big difference in Dianne's case because her tissue was more dense.

“Instead of a 2D mammogram, which is essentially just a piece of paper, 3D mammography is like flipping through a book,” Dr. Fleisig said. “So you can see every layer of the breast tissue.”

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Most insurance companies will cover the 3D tomography and it shouldn't cost you any more than a regular mammogram.

To highlight the technology and her success story, the Mariners chose Munroe as their honorary bat girl with a special honor this Sunday.

She will throw out the first pitch for the 1 p.m. game against the Minnesota Twins.

“I think I am ready,” Dianne said. “I've been practicing.”

The former softball player even showed KIRO 7 the stare down she’s been practicing before the pitch.

She's also competing against cancer survivors chosen by the other 29 Major League Baseball teams  to raise the most money for breast cancer research. You can donate through the link.

As of Friday afternoon, Munroe was in second place.

“I'm very blessed to have a good outcome on my breast cancer,” she said. “And to do something this fun.”

She encourages women to stick to their scheduled mammograms.  And if you have questions about 3D mammograms, just ask your doctor.