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.

Digital DR more effective than CR at detecting breast cancer

Digital direct radiography is significantly more effective than computed radiography at detecting breast cancer, according to a new study published online in the journal Radiology.

14 May 2013

Meridian Health celebrates Paint the Town Pink to emphasize importance of annual mammography

This May, Meridian Health celebrates Paint the Town Pink - a community-wide effort taking place in 23 Monmouth and Ocean County towns that raises awareness of the importance of annual mammography, as early detection is a woman's best defense against breast cancer.

9 May 2013

Calif. Senate leader readies mental health service expansion

The California Senate leader is proposing increasing mental health services to reduce how many end up in jail or ERs. In Massachusetts, officials plan greater scrutiny of how insurers cover mental health care.

9 May 2013

Weekend reading: Overweight doctors; ADHD diagnosis wars; States cut treatment for mentally ill; The war on breast cancer

Recently, a survey of three decades of screening published in November in The New England Journal of Medicine found that mammography's impact is decidedly mixed: it does reduce, by a small percentage, the number of women who are told they have late-stage cancer, but it is far more likely to result in overdiagnosis and unnecessary treatment, including surgery, weeks of radiation and potentially toxic drugs.

3 May 2013

EventusDx receives CE mark designation for Octava Pink breast cancer test

Eventus Diagnostics, Inc. today announced that it has received CE mark designation for its Octava Pink™ breast cancer test intended for confirmatory use in women who have received negative mammography results.

2 May 2013

Review summarises current data on markers for pancreatic cancer

A team of researchers of the UPV/EHU together with researchers from the Hospital Clínico of Barcelona have produced a bibliographical review that summarises the data currently existing on the markers for pancreatic cancer, and have published it in the specialised journal Clinica Chimica Acta.

23 Apr 2013

Even light smoking is associated with increased risk of rheumatoid arthritis

Number of cigarettes smoked a day and the number of years a person has smoked both increase the risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), finds research in BioMed Central's open access journal Arthritis Research & Therapy. The risk decreases after giving up smoking but, compared to people who have never smoked, this risk is still elevated 15 years after giving up.

22 Apr 2013

Despite USPSTF controversial recommendations, mammogram rate did not decline

More than three years after the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommended against routine mammogram screening for women between the ages of 40 and 49, a study from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) finds that mammogram rates in the United States have not declined in that age group, or any other. The study results are published in the April 19, 2013 online edition of the journal Cancer.

22 Apr 2013

Study shows screening breast ultrasound detects more cancers in women with greater breast density

Screening breast ultrasound performed after mammography on women with greater than 50% breast density detects an additional 3.4 cancers or high risk lesions per one thousand woman screened, a detection rate just under that of screening mammography alone for women with less dense breasts, a new study shows.

20 Apr 2013

Study compares clinical outcomes of routine screening mammography with and without CAD

A costly and widely used mammography add-on increases detection of noninvasive and early-stage invasive breast cancer but also makes more mistakes than mammography alone, researchers from UC Davis and the University of Washington have found.

17 Apr 2013

Tomosynthesis detects infiltrating ductal carcinoma in women at increased risk of breast cancer

Tomosynthesis (3D mammography) is better able to show infiltrating ductal carcinoma than 2D mammography in women at increased risk of breast cancer, a new study shows.

15 Apr 2013

Challenges in changing behaviors, factors to reduce cancer risk continue

An annual report from the American Cancer Society finds continuing challenges in changing behaviors and risk factors in order to reduce suffering and death from cancer.

12 Apr 2013

Patients follow preventive health practices if their doctors do likewise

Patients are more likely to follow preventive health practices like getting a flu shot or mammography if their doctors do likewise, researchers at the University of British Columbia and in Israel have discovered.

9 Apr 2013

Study finds positive link between physicians' preventive health practices and patients

There is a direct, positive link between physicians' preventive health practices and those of their patients, found a study published in CMAJ.

9 Apr 2013

Pros and cons of new screening technologies for breast cancer

Although mammography, the gold standard of breast cancer screening, reduces breast cancer mortality, it has important limitations. Critics point to reduced sensitivity for women with dense breasts, a high rate of false positives leading to excessive biopsies, and concerns about long-term effects of repeated radiation.

8 Apr 2013

FUJIFILM showcases Aspire product line at Society of Breast Imaging conference

Building upon its legacy of technological innovations and innovation awards, FUJIFILM Medical Systems U.S.A., Inc. - the pioneer in digital mammography - will showcase its Aspire product line at the Society of Breast Imaging conference in Los Angeles, CA from April 6-9, 2013.

8 Apr 2013

Researchers say breast cancer screening requires a personalized approach

Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center predict that advancements in breast cancer screening will need a personalized touch because mammography is not a "one strategy fits all" technology.

5 Apr 2013

April issue of Journal of American College of Radiology focuses on health-related services

To be published online Monday, April 1, the April issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology will focus on a variety of issues relating to clinical practice, practice management, health services and policy, and radiology education and training.

1 Apr 2013

Medicare reimbursement cuts threaten access to care

Physicians and patients alike are feeling the impact of Medicare reimbursement cuts that went into effect on January 1, 2013. With an additional 2% sequestration cut to roll out on April 1, it's likely that physicians who treat Medicare patients will be faced with difficult decisions as operating margins continue to shrink.

29 Mar 2013

Experts to highlight the importance of research, prevention and treatment of cancer

April marks National Cancer Control Month, which focuses on the importance of prevention, treatment and research in the fight against cancer.

26 Mar 2013