Mammography News and Research

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A mammogram is a safe test used to look for any problems with a woman's breasts. The test uses a special, low-dose x-ray machine to take pictures of both breasts. The results are recorded on x-ray film or directly onto a computer for a radiologist to examine.

Mammograms allow the doctor to have a closer look for breast lumps and changes in breast tissue. They can show small lumps or growths that a doctor or woman may not be able to feel when doing a clinical breast exam. "Mammography" is the best screening tool that doctors have for finding breast cancer.

If a lump is found, your doctor may order other tests, such as ultrasound or a biopsy--a test where a small amount of tissue is taken from the lump and area around the lump. The tissue is sent to a lab to look for cancer or changes that may mean cancer is likely to develop. Breast lumps or growths can be benign (not cancer) or malignant (cancer). Finding breast cancer early means that a woman has a better chance of surviving the disease. There are also more choices for treatment when breast cancer is found early.

Dual-headed dedicated gamma camera accurately detects small breast tumors

A dual-headed dedicated gamma camera used during molecular breast imaging (MBI) can accurately detect small breast tumors less than 2 cm in size, according to a study performed at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN.

1 Dec 2008

Male breast cancer

Mammography and sonography findings help doctors identify and appropriately treat breast cancer in men, according to a study performed at the University of Texas M.D. Cancer Center in Houston, TX.

1 Dec 2008

Mammogram most effective 12 months after radiation

Breast cancer patients who receive breast-conserving therapy and radiation do not need a follow-up mammogram until 12 months after radiation, despite current guidelines that recommend follow-up mammograms at between six and 12 months after radiation, according to a November 15 study in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, the official journal of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology.

25 Nov 2008

Mammograms may pick up breast cancers which would have disappeared

According to researchers in Norway mammograms may detect some cancers that would have otherwise regressed.

25 Nov 2008

Mammograms may detect some cancers that would have otherwise regressed

Breast cancer rates increased significantly in four Norwegian counties after women there began undergoing mammography every two years, according to a report in the November 24 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine , one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

24 Nov 2008

Nanoparticle reports on drug delivery to breast tumors, predicts response to therapy

One of the hallmarks of many nanoparticle-based anticancer therapeutics and imaging agents is that they accumulate in tumors thanks to the fact that they are small enough to escape from the bloodstream through the leaky blood vessels that surround tumors.

20 Nov 2008

Power3 Medical files two patent applications for breast cancer blood test

Power3 Medical Products, Inc. said today that two CIP patent applications have been filed for BC-SeraPro Breast Cancer blood test and biomarkers by Dr. Ira Goldknopf, its president and Chief Scientific Officer.

19 Nov 2008

Dilon Technologies forms alliance with Terason Ultrasound in diagnostic imaging

Dilon Technologies, Inc., the leader in molecular breast imaging, announced today that they have formed an alliance with Terason Ultrasound to offer an expanded imaging capability when molecular breast imaging and ultrasound may be required.

18 Nov 2008

New technology could revolutionse breast cancer screening

The world's first radar breast imaging system developed at Bristol University that could revolutionise the way women are scanned for breast cancer, is being trialled at North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT).

11 Nov 2008

Number of custodial grandparents in U.S. has nearly doubled since 1970

Precautionary health measures such as mammograms and cholesterol tests that identify the risk of heart disease are critical for the well-being of women over 50.

7 Nov 2008

Women need to be aware of changes, breast expert says

Every day, women face a barrage of headlines about breast cancer. What should they do with all of that information?

15 Oct 2008

New tool for early diagnosis of breast cancer

Scientists from Finland, Germany and the ESRF have developed a new X-ray technique for the early detection of breast cancer. This allows a 3D visualization of the breast with a high spatial resolution and is extremely sensitive to alterations in the tissue, such as those generated by cancer. This technique could be used in the next years in hospitals. It may help doctors to detect tumours with greater precision than is possible using current X-ray mammography.

17 Sep 2008

Pain-relieving gel makes mammograms a less painful experience

Women dreading the prospect of another painful mammogram can, according to researchers, relieve some of the breast discomfort by using a pain-relieving gel.

16 Sep 2008

Surveillance mammography after treatment for primary breast cancer

The National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment (NIHR HTA) programme has commissioned a new study to identify the most effective and efficient surveillance methods for women who have received treatment for primary breast cancer.

14 Sep 2008

Painless, portable device could be an alternative to traditional mammograms

Whether a painless, portable device that uses electrical current rather than X-ray to look for breast cancer could be an alternative to traditional mammograms is under study at the Medical College of Georgia.

22 Jul 2008

Pain-relieving gel eases mammography discomfort

The simple application of a pain-relieving gel may reduce the breast discomfort some women experience during mammography exams, according to the results of a clinical trial published in the online edition of Radiology.

22 Jul 2008

Report says cancer clinicians should understand and consider the economic impact of new interventions

Cancer clinicians should understand and consider the economic impact of new interventions, which often have substantial costs, according to a report appearing in the July/August issue of CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.

2 Jul 2008

Genetic profiling for breast cancer on the horizon

Cancer Research UK scientists have shown that it may soon be possible to offer women a genetic test to assess their risk of breast cancer which could aid early diagnosis for those at high risk of the disease. Their findings are revealed in the New England Journal of Medicine today (Wednesday).

26 Jun 2008

Study: Outreach and internal navigation program on breast cancer diagnosis in an urban cancer center with a large African-American population

A new study indicates that community education outreach and internal navigation programs lead to a significant shift in stage at diagnosis of breast cancer among African American women, with a doubling in the proportion of cases caught at the earliest stage and a nearly reciprocal drop in the proportion of cancers at most advanced stage.

23 Jun 2008

Health care disparities found for female veterans

Female veterans do not receive the same quality of outpatient care as male veterans at about one-third of the 139 Department of Veterans Affairs facilities that offer it, according to a report released on Friday by VA, the AP/Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

17 Jun 2008