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.

AI-supported mammography improves early detection of breast cancer

Artificial intelligence (AI)-supported mammography identifies more cancers during screening and reduces the rate of breast cancer diagnosis by 12% in the years following, finds the first randomised controlled trial of its kind involving over 100,000 Swedish women published in The Lancet journal.

30 Jan 2026

Low-dose megestrol strengthens hormone therapy in ER-positive breast cancer

Low-dose megestrol enhances hormone therapy for ER-positive breast cancer, reducing tumor proliferation and improving treatment adherence in the PIONEER trial.

7 Jan 2026

Preoperative MRI offers no survival benefit for early-stage breast cancer patients

Patients with stage 1 or 2, hormone receptor (HR)-negative breast cancer had similar five-year rates of locoregional recurrence whether or not they underwent preoperative breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in addition to diagnostic mammography to determine the extent of their cancer, according to results from the phase III Alliance A011104/ACRIN 6694 clinical trial presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS), held December 9-12, 2025.

11 Dec 2025

Wheelchair? Hearing aids? Yes. ‘Disabled?' No way.

In her house in Ypsilanti, Michigan, Barbara Meade said, "there are walkers and wheelchairs and oxygen and cannulas all over the place."

11 Dec 2025

Breakthrough in imaging speed moves portable stroke diagnosis closer to reality

When someone walks into an emergency room with symptoms of a stroke, every second matters. But today, diagnosing the type of stroke, the life-or-death distinction between a clot and a bleed, requires large, stationary machines like CT scanners that may not be available everywhere.

4 Dec 2025

Breast density alerts may cause confusion and raise anxiety among women

New research by experts at the University of Sydney shows that breast density notification is leaving some women confused and anxious about their breast health.

3 Dec 2025

Advances in screening and therapeutics make lung cancer treatable, survivable

For decades, lung cancer has been associated with stigma, anxiety, and loss. Advances in screening, therapeutics, and survivorship have created a new reality; lung cancer is treatable, survivable, and increasingly understood as a chronic disease for many.

1 Dec 2025

Study highlights a rising incidence of breast cancers in younger women

A study of data from seven outpatient facilities in the New York region found that 20-24% of all the breast cancers diagnosed during an 11-year period were found in women age 18 to 49, according to research being presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

1 Dec 2025

AI model outperforms breast density assessment in breast cancer risk stratification

An image-only artificial intelligence (AI) model for predicting the five-year risk of breast cancer provided stronger and more precise risk stratification than breast density assessment, according to a new study being presented next week at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

26 Nov 2025

Researchers develop wearable microwave devices for fast and accessible health monitoring

At the University of Oulu, researchers are exploring new ways to utilize microwave technology in monitoring and assessing health conditions.

20 Nov 2025

AI tool can help detect women at higher risk of developing interval breast cancers

In a study of more than 100,000 screening mammograms, researchers demonstrated the potential of an AI tool to help identify women at higher risk of developing interval breast cancers, breast cancer that is diagnosed between regular screening mammograms.

28 Oct 2025

Study finds up to 5% of Americans carry genetic mutations linked to increased cancer susceptibility

New Cleveland Clinic research reveals that up to 5% of Americans – approximately 17 million people – carry genetic mutations or "variants" linked to increased cancer susceptibility, regardless of risk factors like personal or family cancer history.

27 Oct 2025

WashU startup Prognosia acquired by Lunit to advance AI-based breast cancer prediction

An innovative biotech startup founded by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has been acquired by Lunit, a leading company in developing AI-based technologies for cancer prevention and early detection.

14 Oct 2025

Molecular breast imaging is the key to early detection in nearly half of women

Early detection is key to breast cancer survival. But nearly half of all women in the U.S. have dense breast tissue, which can make detecting breast cancer difficult with a mammogram.

3 Oct 2025

Missing the first mammogram raises risk of advanced breast cancer

Women who miss their first mammogram run a higher risk of being diagnosed with advanced breast cancer and dying from the disease.

24 Sep 2025

Sylvester part of major national study on AI use in breast cancer screening

Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, will co-lead a newly funded, multi-institutional clinical trial to evaluate whether artificial intelligence (AI) can help support radiologists in interpreting mammograms more accurately, with the goal of improving breast cancer screening and reducing unnecessary callbacks and anxiety for patients.

23 Sep 2025

UCLA to co-lead a large-scale randomized trial of AI in breast cancer screening

UCLA and UC Davis will co-lead a newly funded, multi-institutional clinical trial to evaluate whether artificial intelligence (AI) can help support radiologists in interpreting mammograms more accurately, with the goal of improving breast cancer screening and reducing unnecessary callbacks and anxiety for patients.

23 Sep 2025

Molecular breast imaging increases overall invasive cancer detection in women with dense breasts

Screening women with dense breasts with both molecular breast imaging (MBI) and digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) increased overall invasive cancer detection while modestly increasing the recall rate compared with screening only with DBT, according to a new study published today in Radiology, a journal of the Radiological Society of North America.

23 Sep 2025

Regular mammograms linked to longer survival in women over 80

For many older women, the question of whether to continue breast cancer screening has been uncertain. While most guidelines recommend mammograms up to age 74, advice for women 75 and older has been less clear.

22 Sep 2025

Severe obesity linked to lower rates of recommended cancer screenings

In a recent cross-sectional study, researchers from Pennington Biomedical Research Center found that severe obesity is associated with a lower rate of cancer screenings.

22 Sep 2025