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.

Prediction models may reduce false-positive MRI screenings in women with dense breasts

Prediction models based on clinical characteristics and imaging findings may help reduce the false-positive rate in women with dense breasts who undergo supplemental breast cancer screening with MRI, according to a new study in the journal Radiology.

17 Aug 2021

MIT engineers create new diagnostic nanoparticle that can pinpoint tumor location

Most of the tests that doctors use to diagnose cancer -- such as mammography, colonoscopy, and CT scans -- are based on imaging. More recently, researchers have also developed molecular diagnostics that can detect specific cancer-associated molecules that circulate in bodily fluids like blood or urine.

16 Jul 2021

Research reveals recovery of cancer screening tests and associated disparities after first pandemic peak

The numbers of cancer screening tests rebounded sharply in the last quarter of 2020, following a dramatic decline in the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic, at one large hospital system in the Northeastern United States. These findings were released in a study published in Cancer Cell.

8 Jul 2021

3D-mammography reduces the number of breast cancer cases diagnosed between routine screenings

3D-mammography reduces the number of breast cancer cases diagnosed in the period between routine screenings, when compared with traditional mammography, according to a large study from Lund University in Sweden. The results are published in the journalRadiology.

7 Apr 2021

Study looks at U.S. mammography screening rates during the COVID-19 pandemic

In looking at the broader impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on health and wellbeing, public health experts are examining screening rates for cancer.

31 Mar 2021

Screenings for breast cancer and colon cancer returned to near-normal levels by July 2020

Screenings for breast cancer and colon cancer dropped dramatically during the early months of the coronavirus pandemic, but use of the procedures returned to near-normal levels by the end of July 2020, according to a new study.

23 Mar 2021

Three-dimensional imaging is not suitable for small cancer targets

The continuous improvement of imaging technology holds great promise in areas where visual detection is necessary, such as with cancer screening. Three-dimensional imaging in particular has become popular because it provides a more complete picture of the target object and its context.

17 Mar 2021

Repeated attendance at mammography screening confers protection against breast cancer mortality

Attending the two most recent screening appointments before a breast cancer diagnosis protects against breast cancer death, according to a Queen Mary study of over half a million Swedish women conducted over 24 years.

3 Mar 2021

New approach can reduce unnecessary evaluations of swollen lymph nodes after COVID-19 vaccination

Swelling of lymph nodes in the armpit area is a normal response to COVID-19 vaccinations, but when they are seen on mammograms, they can be mistaken for nodes that are swollen because of cancer. In some cases, the nodes are biopsied to confirm they are not cancer.

25 Feb 2021

Minority women with less education and income have lower access to 3D mammography

Women of minority races and ethnicities and with less education and income have had relatively lower access to 3D mammography, a technology that can improve breast cancer detection and decrease false alarms, according to research published today.

20 Feb 2021

Initial stages of breast cancer could be detected more accurately with new proteomics-based technology

Breast cancer, even at its initial stages, could be detected earlier and more accurately than current techniques using blood samples and a unique proteomics-based technology, according to findings of a study led by the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), an affiliate of City of Hope.

26 Jan 2021

New mammogram-based measures could substantially improve screening

World-first techniques for predicting breast cancer risk from mammograms that were developed in Melbourne could revolutionize breast screening by allowing it to be tailored to women at minimal extra cost.

22 Dec 2020

Digital breast tomosynthesis offers improved cancer detection and lower false negative rates

Breast cancer screening with digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) offers significant advantages over digital mammography, including improved cancer detection and lower false negative rates, according to a study published in Radiology.

4 Dec 2020

Deep learning model identifies imaging biomarkers to predict breast cancer risk in women

Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) have developed a deep learning model that identifies imaging biomarkers on screening mammograms to predict a patient's risk for developing breast cancer with greater accuracy than traditional risk assessment tools.

30 Nov 2020

AI can improve efficiency of radiologists in reading breast cancer screening mammograms

Artificial intelligence can enhance the performance of radiologists in reading breast cancer screening mammograms, according to a study published in Radiology: Artificial Intelligence.

4 Nov 2020

Abbreviated MRI may be a valuable tool for supplemental screening of women with dense breasts

Beth Reisboard, 76, was relieved in 2018 when she received the results from her annual mammogram: "Negative." But her OB-GYN suggested she have a second screening. Reisboard has dense breasts, which means there are certain cancers that mammography may not be sensitive enough to detect.

27 Oct 2020

Researchers recommend breast cancer screening for Black women aged 40 or below

Though Black women get breast cancer at a 3% lower incidence rate than white women, they are 42% more likely to die of breast cancer than white women.

27 Oct 2020

Mammography screening is efficient also for women over the age of 70

Mammography, which is an x-ray picture of the breast, is efficient also for women over the age of 70. For women invited to regular mammography screening over the age of 70, the reduction in mortality rate was significant. This according to a vast new study from Sweden.

20 Oct 2020

Removing cost burden increases use of coronary artery calcium screening

A study out of University Hospitals found that removing the cost barrier for coronary artery calcium (CAC) screening resulted in an immediate increase in utilization of the test.

22 Sep 2020

Researchers aim to improve digital thermal imaging as a tool for monitoring cancer

Thermal imaging has been available for decades to detect temperature differences on the skin that could signal breast cancer without exposing patients to radiation, although the method is not as reliable as mammography.

8 Sep 2020