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.

New studies explore the potential role of bariatric surgery in reducing breast cancer risk

New studies aim to clarify the relationship between obesity and breast cancer, and explore the potential role of bariatric surgery in reducing this risk, according to a review published online in Obesity, The Obesity Society's flagship journal.

23 Feb 2022

MRI screenings may reduce breast-cancer mortality in women with 3 pathogenic gene variants

Annual MRI screenings starting at ages 30 to 35 may reduce breast-cancer mortality by more than 50% among women who carry certain genetic changes in three genes, according to a comparative modeling analysis to be published Feb. 17, 2022, in JAMA Oncology.

17 Feb 2022

New NYU Langone Ambulatory Care Center East 53rd Street offers gynecologic, obstetric, and wellness care

As part of its commitment to enhance access to high-quality care, NYU Langone Health has begun the phased opening of NYU Langone Ambulatory Care Center East 53rd Street, at 159 East 53rd Street, offering comprehensive gynecologic, obstetric, and wellness care.

17 Feb 2022

How artificial intelligence is poised to reshape medicine

In a recent review published in the journal of Nature Medicine, researchers discussed the results of a two-year weekly effort to track and communicate significant developments in medical (artificial intelligence) AI. They included prospective studies as well as developments in medical image analysis that have narrowed the gap between research and implementation.

24 Jan 2022

Research reveals lower rates of colorectal cancer screening among rural women

Women who live in urban and rural areas get screened for breast cancer at similar rates, but rural women get screened for colorectal cancer at significantly lower rates than their urban counterparts, new research reveals.

14 Dec 2021

BU researchers develop a risk prediction model for breast cancer in Black women

In the United States, Black women are more likely to have breast cancer at earlier ages and with a worse prognosis than white women. Despite this, there is a critical gap in breast cancer risk prediction models for Black women.

29 Oct 2021

Penn Medicine and Siemens Healthineers provide free breast cancer screenings for underserved women

As part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Penn Medicine will be providing free breast cancer screenings, no insurance required, to women in need over the age of 40.

13 Oct 2021

New risk prediction model for breast cancer in U.S. Black women developed

The lack of a breast cancer risk prediction model tailored to Black women represents a critical gap, given that U.S. Black women, on average, are more likely to have breast cancer at earlier ages and with a worse prognosis than White women.

8 Oct 2021

Automated system based on AI helps rule out cancer in women with dense breasts

An automated system that uses artificial intelligence (AI) can quickly and accurately sift through breast MRIs in women with dense breasts to eliminate those without cancer, freeing up radiologists to focus on more complex cases, according to a study published in Radiology.

5 Oct 2021

MRIs found to be cost effective for detecting breast cancer for women with very dense breasts

A new paper in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, published by Oxford University Press, indicates that MRIs are cost effective for detecting breast cancer for women with very dense breasts detected by mammography.

29 Sep 2021

Breast radiation after lumpectomy decreases incidence of ipsilateral breast recurrence for 'low risk' DCIS

A long-term follow up analysis of the NRG-RTOG 9804 randomized trial has shown that breast radiation following lumpectomy significantly reduces incidence of ipsilateral breast recurrence (IBR) for "low risk" DCIS.

27 Sep 2021

Trained computer program can aid physicians in accurately diagnosing breast cancer

A computer program trained to see patterns among thousands of breast ultrasound images can aid physicians in accurately diagnosing breast cancer, a new study shows.

24 Sep 2021

Deep learning provides a better estimate of breast cancer risk

Compared with commonly used clinical risk factors, a sophisticated type of artificial intelligence (AI) called deep learning does a better job distinguishing between the mammograms of women who will later develop breast cancer and those who will not, according to a new study in the journal Radiology.

7 Sep 2021

Precursor to ulcerative colitis exists several years before disease onset, study shows

After the first symptoms, the diagnosis of the bowel disease ulcerative colitis may take a few months. As shown in a study at örebro University, there is, however, a precursor to the disease already several years before its onset.

3 Sep 2021

Insufficient evidence to support the replacement of human radiologists with AI for breast cancer screening

Humans still seem to be better than technology when it comes to the accuracy of spotting possible cases of breast cancer during screening, suggests a review published online in The BMJ today.

2 Sep 2021

Older women with dense breasts are at higher risk of breast cancer, study shows

UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center researcher Diana Miglioretti is co-senior author of a new study that shows women 75 and older who have dense breasts are at higher risk of breast cancer.

28 Aug 2021

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