A high-profile, National Cancer Institute-backed imaging trial saw a rebound in the fourth quarter of 2020 after its enrollment numbers had slumped amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
In fact, the Tomosynthesis Mammographic Imaging Screening Trial posted its three highest monthly tallies ever between October and December, the American College of Radiology reported Tuesday. TMIST enrolled more participants than all other cancer institute trials combined since July 1, ACR said.
The trial first launched in 2017, with the aim of comparing digital breast tomosynthesis with older 2D mammography technology. At 2020’s conclusion, that tally reached 37,893 participants, with an impressive 20% participation rate among Black enrollees in the U.S.
Investigators had previously struggled to enlist sites and patients, with many radiologists already convinced that DBT is superior to 2D mammography, Medscape reported in September. And the COVID-19 pandemic only exacerbated these challenges, with TMIST falling well short of its originally anticipated enrollment of 165,000 by the end of 2020.
The National Cancer Institute had formed a work group to review funding for TMIST. However, study lead Etta Pisano, MD, said at the time that the college had no plans of suspending the trial.
In a blog post earlier this month, ACR highlighted TMIST’s year-end flourish, and the impact they hope it will eventually have on health equity.
“I think we—as radiologists—should be proud of our efforts to move medicine forward and ensure that underserved communities are not left behind as healthcare advances,” wrote Pamela Woodard, MD, chair of the college’s commission on research.
For more on the trial and how to participate, you can check out this webpage.
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.