Mammography

Mammography is less certain than anyone would like. Comparing the accuracy of MR and x-ray mammography in women with dense breasts makes that clear. But there is another reason for greater concern, and it’s one I would have never suspected.

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The FDA has issued an advisory warning physicians and patients about potential health risks from topical anesthetic lidocaine used to reduce the discomfort of breast mammography.

One sure way to disappoint is to promise more than you can deliver. Mammography appears to be doing just that. A public survey conducted in Europe found that the vast majority of people hugely overestimate the life-saving benefits of breast and prostate cancer screening.

Digital mammography is at least as good as screen-film mammography for detecting breast cancer, according to a population-based screening program study presented at the RSNA meeting by Irish researchers.

A recent study suggests that by lowering access barriers to mammography, the Obama administration could help combat the tendency of uninsured minority women to delay seeking diagnosis for breast cancer. Delayed diagnosis translates into delayed treatment and a poorer prognosis for many women.

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Researchers at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston have confirmed what mammographers have long suspected: Digital screening mammograms may take twice as long to read than film. Understanding all variables could boost or make up for interpretation speed.

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Alternating MRI with mammography every six months picks up breast cancers not identified by mammography alone for women at high risk, according to research out of the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

An add-on digital stereotaxy option for GE’s Senographe Essential lets users perform biopsies on its full-field digital mammography system, sparing institutions the expense of setting up a dedicated biopsy room, according to the company.

Computer-aided detection systems show high potential for detecting inconspicuous colonic polyps but provide little help in locating nonpolypoid colorectal lesions, according to research presented Wednesday at the RSNA meeting.

Automated breast ultrasound should not replace handheld ultrasound in a diagnostic breast center but rather should be used in conjunction with it or play a role in screening breast ultrasound, according to a study presented at the 2008 RSNA meeting.

While radiologists herald breast tomosynthesis as the hope for the future of breast imaging, several barriers hinder its widespread use. Its very ability to detect benign lesions dilutes the value of such detection, according to a keynote speech at the RSNA meeting.

Clinical trials in oncology demand standardized measurements of imaging scans to assess treatment response, but, unfortunately, the existing clinical workflow is not designed to produce these cohesive measurements on a routine basis. A group from Dana Farber Cancer Center has proposed using imaging analysts to deliver more consistent results.

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Toshiba America Medical Systems has positioned its MicroPure ultrasound technology as a way to better characterize microcalcifications. The new technology, showcased at RSNA 2008 on Toshiba’s Aplio XG ultrasound scanner, improves the detection of small calcifications that otherwise may evade detection with ultrasound.

Extending its reach in applications for MR in women’s health, Toshiba unveiled at RSNA 2008 its Radiance Plus Breast Imaging Suite for use on the company’s two 1.5T scanners, the Vantage Atlas and Vantage Titan.

As the mammography community embraces digital mammography, newly converted sites must overcome the challenge of comparing new images with old. PACSGEAR introduced at RSNA 2008 its solution to the problem.

Digital mammography is more accurate than film for diagnosis of breast cancer in women with dense breasts, according to results from the Digital Mammographic Imaging Screening Trial presented at the RSNA meeting.

Sony has unveiled at RSNA 2008 a printer designed specifically for digital mammography.

In Pennsylvania, radiologists 65 and older read significantly more mammograms than any other group, according to an American College of Radiology patterns-of-care study.

Targeted radiation of breast cancer reduces treatment time from six and a half weeks to five days, while reducing pain and improving cosmetic outcome, according to a study presented at the RSNA meeting.