Radiologists have devised a better way to perform a mammogram, called digital tomosynthesis. An X-ray tube moves in an arc around the breast, capturing several images. The information is then sent to a computer, which produces clear, highly focused 3-dimensional images of the breast.One out of seven women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. Up until now, a mammogram has been the best hope for early detection. But mammograms can be uncomfortable and difficult to read. Now, new technology may change all that.
The radiologists can look at it like pages of a book, looking at one area of the breast in isolation. Traditional mammograms only take two angles of the breast. Depending on breast size, tomosynthesis takes at least 11 different angles. Another bonus -- tomosynthesis uses less compression than traditional mammograms and that means less pain for the patient. Doctors are awaiting FDA approval. The cost of the test is expected to be about the same as a traditional mammogram.
The technique is currently being reviewed by the FDA and should be commercialized within the year. It is easy to implement in any centers that currently provide mammography, with no necessary extra training for technicians to interpret results.
XLPharmacy
Cited: The American Association of Physicists in Medicine
The radiologists can look at it like pages of a book, looking at one area of the breast in isolation. Traditional mammograms only take two angles of the breast. Depending on breast size, tomosynthesis takes at least 11 different angles. Another bonus -- tomosynthesis uses less compression than traditional mammograms and that means less pain for the patient. Doctors are awaiting FDA approval. The cost of the test is expected to be about the same as a traditional mammogram.
The technique is currently being reviewed by the FDA and should be commercialized within the year. It is easy to implement in any centers that currently provide mammography, with no necessary extra training for technicians to interpret results.
XLPharmacy
Cited: The American Association of Physicists in Medicine
