Mammography News and Research

RSS

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.

Breast Cancer Symposium highlights risk and use of radiotherapy, MRI in DCIS patients

New studies exploring breast cancer risk perceptions and use of radiotherapy and MRI for women with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS, a preinvasive form of breast cancer) were highlighted today in a virtual presscast in advance of the 2013 Breast Cancer Symposium.

7 Sep 2013

AATS agrees with USPSTF recommendation for lung cancer screening of asymptomatic smokers

The American Association for Thoracic Surgery, a professional organization of surgeons dedicated to the diagnosis, treatment, and cure of diseases of the chest, strongly supports the United States Preventive Services Task Force draft recommendation for lung cancer screening of asymptomatic smokers.

29 Aug 2013

Multi-site trial shows BI-RADS 3 breast lesions reduce patient anxiety, unnecessary biopsies

Based on data from a multi-site imaging trial involving more than 2,600 women, researchers say breast lesions categorized as 'probably benign' on supplemental screening ultrasound could be re-evaluated with imaging in 12 months, reducing patient anxiety, follow-up exams and unnecessary biopsies. Results of the study are published online in the journal Radiology.

20 Aug 2013

Scientist develop mathematical model that predicts how individuals respond to cancer treatment

Vittorio Cristini, PhD, uses the example of an airplane to explain what he does in cancer research. "Before calculus," he says, "people couldn't really design a plane that would fly. You can do it by trial and error, but it would probably take centuries." Dr. Cristini has a faster way to try to understand cancer treatment. Like airplane designers today, he uses a mathematical model.

13 Aug 2013

Research analysts assess ob-gyn physicians' use of multiple guidelines for breast cancer screening

For breast cancer screening, there are more clinical practice guidelines available to physicians than for any other medical procedure. A new study in the Journal for Healthcare Quality reports that when different clinical guidelines exist, physicians choose recommendations from multiple, sometimes conflicting, sources.

9 Aug 2013

Surgery may not be necessary for women with abnormal breast tissue

Surgery is not always necessary for women with a type of breast tissue abnormality associated with a higher risk of cancer, according to a new study published online in the journal Radiology.

30 Jul 2013

Study: Digital tomosynthesis reduces recall rate in breast cancer screening

Digital tomosynthesis is an effective tool for reducing the recall rate in breast cancer screening, according to a new study published online in the journal Radiology.

30 Jul 2013

Academic hospitals have higher mammography recall rates than community radiology centers

A new study at Rhode Island Hospital has found that academic medical centers have higher rates of recall following mammography than community radiology centers. The recall rate is the frequency at which a radiologist interprets an examination as positive and the patient is instructed to return for more testing.

24 Jul 2013

Recall rates of mammography screening may be higher at hospitals

The rate at which women get called back for additional imaging after screening mammography may be higher at hospitals than at community office practices, mostly due to differences among the patients, according to a new study published online in the journal Radiology. The findings highlight the limitations of recall rates as a quality measure for breast cancer screening, the researchers said.

24 Jul 2013

Family caregivers of older adults with dementia willing to stop cancer screening: Research

Research from the Regenstrief Institute and the Indiana University Center for Aging Research has found that many family caregivers of older adults with dementia are willing to consider stopping cancer screening of the elderly individual; they are also relieved when the older adult's physician brings it up.

20 Jul 2013

GE Healthcare receives CE marking for breast tomosynthesis solution

GE Healthcare, hailed a new era for breast imaging today as it announced CE marking for SenoClaire, GE's new generation of breast tomosynthesis solution designed with a three-dimensional imaging technology.

16 Jul 2013

Viewpoints: Dems' abortion policies on the wrong side of public opinion; Doctors need to be more accurate in death reports

Last week saw two major developments in the legal and political battle over the Obama administration's sound decision to require most employers to provide free insurance coverage of contraceptives for women under the new health care law - one of them positive and the other a blow to the mandate and to religious liberty (7/1).

3 Jul 2013

70% of U.S. plastic surgeons use fat grafting techniques for breast reconstruction

Seventy percent of U.S. plastic surgeons have used fat grafting techniques for breast operations, but they are more likely to use it for breast reconstruction rather than cosmetic breast surgery, reports a survey study in the July issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

2 Jul 2013

GE Healthcare to acquire certain Mammography assets of Rayence

GE Healthcare today announced that it has agreed to acquire certain Mammography assets of Rayence, a subsidiary of Vatech Co Ltd, a Korean X-Ray manufacturer. The Mammography assets of Rayence will, at closing, become part of the Detection & Guidance Solutions business unit of GE Healthcare.

21 Jun 2013

KLAS announces 2013 Best in KLAS Awards for medical equipment and infrastructure

KLAS just released the 2013 Best in KLAS Awards: Medical Equipment & Infrastructure report ranking the best-performing imaging, pharmacy automation and infrastructure vendors in the world.

From Elekta 15 Jun 2013

Research: Breast cancer screening does not show effect on mortality statistics

New research analysing breast cancer mortality data spanning almost 40 years concludes that breast cancer screening does not yet show an effect on mortality statistics.

12 Jun 2013

New collaboration to bring Mautner Project under the umbrella of Whitman-Walker Health

Mautner Project: The National Lesbian Health Organization, today announced a collaboration with Whitman-Walker Health. Mautner Project's mission to provide health and wellness education and outreach to Washington's lesbian and bisexual community will now occur through WWH, giving both organizations access to larger populations and expanded service offerings.

4 Jun 2013

Raman spectroscopy algorithm has potential to diagnose breast lesions with high precision

A newly developed, single-step Raman spectroscopy algorithm has the potential to simultaneously detect microcalcifications and enable diagnosis of the associated breast lesions with high precision, according to data published in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

31 May 2013

3D mammography reduces unnecessary recalls, increases cancer detection

A recently published clinical study conducted at TOPS Comprehensive Breast Center in Houston, Texas, demonstrates that 3D mammography (breast tomosynthesis) significantly reduces unnecessary recalls while simultaneously increasing cancer detection.

24 May 2013

Women in 40s continue to undergo routine breast cancer screenings despite new recommendations

Women in their 40s continue to undergo routine breast cancer screenings despite national guidelines recommending otherwise, according to new Johns Hopkins research.

16 May 2013