Tuesday, July 1, 2014

3-D Mammograms May Be Worth Your While

Published recently in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the study found that the addition of 3-D mammography to digital mammography was associated with a 10% decrease in the patient recall rate from false positive results and a 41% increase in the detection rate for invasive cancers. So, fewer false alarms and more dangerous cancers were found.

There was no difference, however, in the detection of early-stage cancers.

One potential pitfall: 3-D mammography nearly doubles the amount of radiation exposure, although the dose still falls well under recommended limits set by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The 3-D exam is performed at the same time as the standard digital mammogram.

The standard digital mammogram obtains a top-down and side view of the breast, resulting in a single, flat image. Dense breast tissue often leads to overlapping structures that can obscure signs of cancer. The 3-D mammogram takes multiple images in an arc around the breast in tiny increments and in just a few seconds. The resulting images can be viewed one slice at a time or as a composite, 3-D view.

More than 450,000 mammograms were performed during the course of the study, about 280,000 with digital mammography alone and more than 170,000 with a combination of standard 2-D plus the new 3-D technique. The FDA approved the use of the new 3-D technology in 2011 for use along with regular digital mammography. The manufacturer estimates that 6 million women will have a 3-D mammogram in 2014, out of about 40 million total screenings. The test is offered in some 1,100 imaging centers.