Digital Mammography Offers Important New Option for Some Women
Digital mammography detects breast cancers in certain groups of women better than standard film-based mammography, according to a recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine.1
For women under the age of 50, those with dense breast, and premenopausal and perimenopausal women, digital mammography is statistically better. However, for the general population of women, both mammography techniques work equally well in detecting cancers.
The Digital Mammographic Imaging Screening Trial was conducted by the American College of Radiology Imaging Network and funded with grants from the National Cancer Institute. Radiologists at 33 sites across the United States and Canada examined 42,760 women over two years.
"These results will give clinicians better guidance and greater choice in deciding which women would benefit most from various forms of mammography," said Dr. Etta Pisano, principal investigator for this landmark study.
Among the benefits for digital mammography, according to the study, are easier access to digital images and computer-assisted diagnosis; improved means of transmission, storage, and retrieval; and greater ability to adjust and manipulate the image to improve contrast.
|
