A Rio Grande Valley hospital has been pushing for a new routine scan that can help detect breast cancer in patients who are considered high-risk. 

Health experts with Valley Baptist Medical Center say this new procedure will be in addition to mammograms.

The hospital is rolling out an Automated Breast Ultrasound also known as A-Bas. This will help provide better detection in women who have dense breast tissue.

Health experts say about 64 percent of women in the Valley have this condition.

"When you have dense breast tissue, the majority of the breast starts looking white. The problem is, cancerous lesions also can look white. So, with the additional technology, we can help differentiate between what's dense breast tissue or potential lesion," Valley Baptist Medical Center Director of Imaging Services Joey Govea said.

This new tool will help the hospital detect cancer early. The machine uses ultrasound waves instead of X-ray and radiation, and will provide 3D images that radiologists can manipulate to take a closer look.

The hospital will start using the A-Bas on patients starting Thursday. This will add about 15 minutes to a patient's regular appointment time.