A two-year prospective study validates the impact of computer-aided detection in identifying invasive breast cancer at an ever earlier stage. CAD increased the cancer detection rate by 16.1% during the study, published in the October issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.
A two-year prospective study validates the impact of computer-aided detection in identifying invasive breast cancer at an ever earlier stage. CAD increased the cancer detection rate by 16.1% during the study, published in the October issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.
Radiologists also increased their detection of invasive cancers 1 cm or less by 164% during the study, said chief investigator Dr. Tommy Cupples, director of breast imaging at South Carolina Comprehensive Breast Center in Columbia. Average patient age at time of cancer diagnosis decreased by 5.3 years with CAD.
The study involved 27,472 consecutive screenings. Of these, 7872 were performed prior to installation of CAD and 19,402 after. Three radiologists with varying levels of experience in breast imaging were involved in the full study term. An additional radiologist with substantial mammography experience joined the study after the introduction of CAD.
Cupples noted that due to sample size limitations, the increase in cancer detection rate was not statistically significant.
"But far more important, and of direct relevance to patient outcomes, is that both the size of the cancers found and the age at diagnosis decreased during the study," he said. "Even with our relatively small study, both were almost statistically significant."
The work, previewed in an interview with Cupples in Diagnostic Imaging in June, emphasizes CAD's evolving role from quantitative to qualitative in terms of detecting small invasive cancers.
"CAD helps find smaller cancers in younger women, and these are the lesions most frequently missed in young women with dense breasts," he said. "CAD will also fit hand in glove with full-field digital mammography, which shows potential for detecting cancer in women with dense breasts. This is good news for many women."
CAD's role in breast screening shifts from quantity to quality
CAD boost in spotting cancers shows variation
Breast centers tune up for peak performance
Digital mammography creates new opportunities in cancer detection
What a New Mammography Study Reveals About BMI, Race, Ethnicity and Advanced Breast Cancer Risk
December 8th 2023In a new study examining population attributable risk proportions (PARPs) based on data from over three million screening mammography exams, researchers found that postmenopausal Black women had the highest BMI-related PARP and premenopausal Asian and Pacific Islander women had the highest breast density-related PARP for advanced breast cancer.
What a New Study Reveals About Adjunctive DBT and Early-Stage Invasive Breast Cancer
December 6th 2023The combination of digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) and digital mammography had a 21.6 higher invasive breast cancer detection rate for stage 1 tumors than digital mammography alone, according to a new study involving nearly 100,000 women.
Study: Regular Mammography Screening Reduces Breast Cancer Mortality Risk by More than 70 Percent
November 30th 2023Consistent adherence to the five most recent mammography screenings prior to a breast cancer diagnosis reduced breast cancer death risk by 72 percent in comparison to women who did not have the mammography screening, according to new research findings presented at the annual Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) conference.
Study Says Contrast-Enhanced Mammography Offers Comparable Breast Cancer Detection to MRI
November 15th 2023In findings from an enriched cohort of asymptomatic patients with screening-detected abnormalities, researchers found that contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM) was superior to conventional mammography and offered equivalent detection of breast cancer in comparison to breast MRI and abbreviated breast MRI.