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.

New prediction tool may determine patients' risk for ductal carcinoma

The decision regarding treatment following breast-conserving surgery for patients diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in-situ (DCIS) has long been an area of discussion and confusion for patients and physicians alike.

14 Jul 2010

IDSI installs CT Laser Mammography system at Tata Memorial Hospital

Imaging Diagnostic Systems, Inc., a pioneer in laser optical breast imaging, announced today that it has installed the first CT Laser Mammography (CTLM) system at Tata Memorial Hospital, the national comprehensive cancer centre in Mumbai, India.

12 Jul 2010

IBC offers more personalized online information about PHR to its members

Independence Blue Cross now offers its members more personalized online information about their health – as the amazon.com experience is to the savvy shopper, the ibxpress.com experience is to the smart health care consumer. Personal health information began to flow into members' electronic health records this month – available through ibxpress.com, the company's member website.

9 Jul 2010

Medicare agency releases data on hospital performance

MedPage Today: "The public can now review data on the quality of outpatient care provided by individual hospitals at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Hospital Compare website. The site previously contained only data on inpatient care quality. All the data are derived from records of Medicare patients treated at more than 3,600 hospitals nationwide."

9 Jul 2010

Mathematical model for imaging tumors in breast using microwave tomography

The most popular method of breast cancer detection today is X-ray mammography, which takes images of a compressed breast by low-dose ionizing radiation. However, there are several disadvantages to using X-rays for breast cancer screening, chief among them being the invasivity of radiation and the high costs, which limit their wide use and can deter women from getting them. In addition, depending on the age of the patient and tissue density, X-ray mammograms often result in false positives and negatives.

8 Jul 2010

Clinical performance data of Cervista HPV HR presented at International Papillomavirus Conference

Hologic, Inc., a leading women's healthcare company, today announced that final data analysis from the first large-scale independent evaluation of clinical performance of Cervista HPV HR compared to Hybrid Capture 2, were presented in Montreal, Canada, at the 26th International Papillomavirus Conference. Cervista HPV HR is a diagnostic test for the detection of 14 high-risk human papillomavirus types.

8 Jul 2010

Invision Sally Jobe introduces SBU technology for early detection of breast cancer

Invision Sally Jobe is among the first diagnostic imaging networks in the nation to offer a new breast ultrasound technology for the early detection of cancer. Screening Breast Ultrasound is a highly effective technology developed to complement mammography in women with radiologically dense breasts and other risk factors.

7 Jul 2010

Hologic enters definitive agreement to acquire Sentinelle Medical

Hologic, Inc., a leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of premium diagnostics, medical imaging systems and surgical products dedicated to serving the healthcare needs of women, announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Sentinelle Medical Inc., a leading provider of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) breast coils, tables and visualization software.

From Hologic, Inc. 7 Jul 2010

Counseling programs increase mammography compliance among low-income women

Even with health insurance, low-income women had lower rates of mammography screening than middle-class women, but a counseling program increased the likelihood of screening.

30 Jun 2010

New test to predict DCIS spares unnecessary radiotherapy

A new test could predict which women have an aggressive form of breast cancer in the milk ducts (DCIS) and spare other women from unnecessary radiotherapy, according to research1 published in the British Journal of Cancer today.

30 Jun 2010

Recent objections would eliminate use of routine breast cancer screening mammograms: Authors

The firestorm that followed the November 2009 release of guidelines that would have reduced use of screening mammograms in women aged 40 to 49 highlights challenges for implementing the findings of comparative effectiveness research, according to a new analysis. Meeting such challenges - which may become more common due to increased funding for CER - requires better communication to the public and stakeholders about evidence and its connection to health care quality and efficiency.

23 Jun 2010

Aurora Dedicated Breast MRI System installed at Ruijin Hospital, China

Aurora Imaging Technology, Inc. today announced the installation of the Aurora® Dedicated Breast MRI System in China at the world-renowned Ruijin Hospital located in Shanghai, the teaching hospital for China's top-tiered Jiao Tong University Medical School. The installation marks the first Aurora System in China.

22 Jun 2010

Ultrasound-guided diffuse optical tomography holds promise for ascertaining early-stage invasive breast cancer

By combining two relatively inexpensive technologies based on sound and light waves, researchers hope to lower the rate at which women undergo breast biopsies for suspicious lesions. Results of the study on ultrasound-guided optical tomography are published in the online edition and the August print issue of Radiology.

22 Jun 2010

Naviscan announces presentations on PEM technology at Society of Nuclear Medicine Annual Meeting

Naviscan's Positron Emission Mammography (PEM) technology was the focus of several presentations and discussions at the Society of Nuclear Medicine Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City. The focus represents a growing interest and validation of how PEM can play an important role in the fight against breast cancer.

18 Jun 2010

Medicare coverage of unproven mammography screening device leads to surge in usage

In a study illustrating the potentially powerful influence of political pressure on medical practice, a UC Davis physician-researcher has found that use of a largely unproven mammography screening device has surged since Medicare began covering its cost.

15 Jun 2010

Nurse with enhanced clinical skills detects same breast abnormalities as surgeon

UK researchers have developed an Initiative that could help hospitals prevent delays to the two-week cancer target, following the reduction in junior doctors' working hours due to the European Working Time Directive. A specially trained nurse practitioner and consultant breast surgeon who examined 126 women referred to a symptomatic breast disease clinic picked up the same breast abnormalities in 92% of cases.

14 Jun 2010

iCAD to supply CAD technology for mammography to VA, Department of Defense Hospitals

iCAD, Inc., an industry-leading provider of advanced image analysis and workflow solutions for the early identification of cancer, today announced it has signed an agreement with the Defense Supply Center to provide federal healthcare facilities including Veteran's Administration (VA) and Department of Defense Hospitals with its Computer-Aided Detection (CAD) technology for mammography.

11 Jun 2010

Breast tomosynthesis holds promise for early breast cancer detection

In the U.S., one out of eight women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. The earlier the breast cancer is found, the more likely a woman will live a normal life, said Stephen Rose, M.D., a breast radiologist at Memorial Hermann Memorial City.

9 Jun 2010

Chronix' DNA blood tests detect prostate, breast cancer with 92% sensitivity and 100% specificity

Chronix Biomedical today reported new data further demonstrating that its DNA blood tests have the potential to accurately detect early stage breast and prostate cancers. Chronix's proprietary technology identifies disease-specific genetic fingerprints based on DNA fragments that are released into the bloodstream by damaged and dying (apoptotic) cells.

8 Jun 2010

Chronix's serum DNA assays have potential to detect early stage breast cancer, prostate cancer

Chronix Biomedical today reported new data further demonstrating that its serum DNA blood tests have the potential to accurately detect early stage breast cancer and prostate cancer. Chronix's proprietary technology identifies disease-specific genetic fingerprints based on circulating DNA fragments that are released into the bloodstream by damaged and dying (apoptotic) cells.

7 Jun 2010