Breast Imaging

Breast imaging includes imaging modalities used for breast cancer screenings and planning therapy once cancer is detected. Mammography is the primary modality used. Mammogram technology is moving from 2D full-field digital mammography (FFDM) to breast tomosynthesis, or 3D mammography, which helps reduce false positive exams by allowing radiologists to look through the layers of tissue. Overlapping areas of dense breast tissue on 2D mammograms appear similar to cancers and 3D tomo helps determine if suspect areas are cancer or not. About 50% of women have dense breast tissue, which appears white on mammograms, the same as cancers, making diagnosis difficult. Radiologists use the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) scoring system to define the density of breast tissue. Many states now require patients to be notified if they have dense breasts so they understand their mammograms might be suboptimal and they should use supplemental imaging that can see through the dense areas. This includes tomosythesis, breast ultrasound, automated breast ultrasound (ABUS), breast MRI, contrast enhanced mammography and nuclear imaging, including positron emission mammography (PEM).

COVID-19 medical imaging examples of various clinical presentations. SARS-CoV-2 clinical imaging presentations.

PHOTO GALLERY: What does COVID-19 look like on medical imaging?

This image gallery shows what the various clinical presentations associated with the COVID-19 virus that have been documented during the coronavirus pandemic.

August 9, 2022

Deep learning expedites normal findings on ultrafast breast screenings

AI can safely and accurately identify healthy breast tissue on ultrafast breast MRI, negating the need for a radiologist’s closer look and, in the process, lowering cancer screening costs and widening patient access to breast MRI.

May 31, 2022
Artificial intelligence can help make breast cancer screening mammography more accurate.

Malignant architectural distortion ably diagnosed on breast imaging by human-AI combo

Combining ensemble AI models with reads from breast radiologists of mixed experience levels can help health systems consistently diagnose malignant architectural distortion on mammography.

May 17, 2022

Abbreviated breast MRI deemed an attractive screening option—sometimes

AB-MRI is a cost-effective means of screening women with dense breast tissue for breast cancer—as long as the per-exam costs don’t top 82% of what would have been spent to perform full-protocol breast MRI.

April 28, 2022
breast radiologist breast cancer mammography

Screening breast MRI results in more downstream healthcare costs than mammography alone

Women who underwent magnetic resonance imaging experienced more subsequent scans, procedures, healthcare visits and hospitalizations. 

April 14, 2022

Experts advocate for ‘one-stop-shop’ cancer screening approach to address COVID-related backlogs

Radiology and other specialties should reimagine a system requiring numerous separate visits for breast, lung, prostate, cervical, colorectal, and skin cancer, editorialists argued.

April 14, 2022

FDA clears device to aid in breast localization during imaging-guided biopsy

Merit Medical Systems claims its system is the first wire-free solution providers can deploy during such MRI-based procedures. 

April 12, 2022

'Surprising' decline in annual screening among breast cancer survivors has experts concerned

The downward trend in annual mammography adherence should serve as a call to action for new processes to engage breast cancer survivors, physicians urged.

April 8, 2022

Around the web

"This was an unneeded burden, which was solely adding to the administrative hassles of medicine," said American Society of Nuclear Cardiology President Larry Phillips.

SCAI and four other major healthcare organizations signed a joint letter in support of intravascular ultrasound. 

The newly approved AI models are designed to improve the detection of pulmonary embolisms and strokes in patients who undergo CT scans.

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