Digital breast tomosynthesis is “significantly” more accurate in detecting cancer when compared to its full-field digital mammography counterpart. And those results have been proven true regardless of tumor type, size or grade of cancer.
That’s according to a new study released Oct. 16 and set to be published in the March issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology. Investigators with the Brigham and Women's Hospital Department of Radiology reached those conclusions by measuring up cancer diagnoses for about 60 patients using the two detection methods.
Pragya Dang, MD, a staff radiologist, and colleagues found that digital breast tomosynthesis bested FFD mammography for invasive cancers, minimal cancers, estrogen receptor-positive invasive cancers and node-negative invasive cancers. The authors acknowledged that larger, prospective studies must be conducted to validate the results and long-term outcomes of tomosynthesis, but they are encouraged by the early findings.
“Our results suggest that integrating [digital breast tomosynthesis] into clinical practice may detect overall more cancers than does [full-field digital mammography], for all tumor subtypes, grades, sizes, and nodal statuses,” Dang concluded.
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.