Digital 3D mammograms improve the detection of cancer in women with dense breast by as much as 67 percent, compared to conventional screenings, according to new research from the Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia.
The technology — technically known as “digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT)” — could be particularly helpful identifying tumors in younger women with breast tissue that is more dense, which makes traditional mammograms less useful and reliable.
"There are a lot of data showing that screening with DBT increases cancer detection, but much less is known about the effect of density and lesion type on detection rates," said researcher Caroline Ling. "We found a striking increase in detection among women with dense breasts called back for mass and asymmetry relative to nondense breasts."
The study, presented at medical conference in Toronto this week, compared the experiences of 29,377 patients who underwent conventional digital mammography screening and DBT.
The results showed the overall cancer detection rate was 3.1 percent in the DBT group and 2.2 percent in the digital mammography group — meaning those who underwent the 3D screening had a 38 percent greater likelihood of having tumors identified.
“Overall cancer detection was greater in the DBT group relative to the digital mammography group; however, the most striking increase was cancer detection among women with dense breasts called back for mass and asymmetry relative to nondense breasts,” the researchers concluded. “A larger study is needed to determine statistical significance.”