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.

Large waist size tied to increased risk of heart failure in middle-aged and older populations

Adding to the growing evidence that a person's waist size is an important indicator of heart health, a study led by investigators at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) has found that larger waist circumference is associated with increased risk of heart failure in middle-aged and older populations of men and women.

12 Apr 2009

A person's waist size is a predictor of heart health

8 Apr 2009

Breastmilk test may reveal cancer risk early

Beginning this month and for the next year, environmental toxicologist Kathleen Arcaro of the University of Massachusetts Amherst will be recruiting subjects nationwide for a study to see if cells expressed in nursing mothers' breastmilk might one day provide a quick, easy way to assess a woman's future breast cancer risk.

5 Apr 2009

To screen for breast cancer or not

Women are often told that mammography saves lives. But rarely is the question asked, 'how often?'

1 Apr 2009

Early detection of second breast cancers halves women’s risk of death

A group of international researchers has found the first reliable evidence that early detection of subsequent breast tumours in women who have already had the disease can halve the women's chances of death from breast cancer.

17 Mar 2009

Study examines why overweight women are less likely to undergo breast cancer screening

Obese women may be putting themselves at greater risk of breast cancer by not undergoing regular screening.

16 Mar 2009

New guidelines emphasize use of breast MRI to supplement standard imaging

Updated guidelines for physicians that represent best practices for using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to newly diagnose breast cancer and to make treatment decisions for breast cancer were published today in the Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.

17 Feb 2009

Breast cancer risk rapidly declines after women stop taking postmenopausal combined hormone therapy

Women who stopped taking the postmenopausal hormone combination of estrogen plus progestin experienced a marked decline in breast cancer risk which was unrelated to mammography utilization change, according to a study from the Women's Health Initiative led by a Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute (LA BioMed) investigator that was published today in The New England Journal of Medicine.

5 Feb 2009

Risk of malpractice lawsuits in breast imaging overestimate by radiologists

Radiologists who work in breast imaging tend to overestimate their actual risk of medical malpractice lawsuits, according to a study performed at the University of Washington School of Public Health and Community Medicine in Seattle, WA.

2 Feb 2009

New technique images tumor vessel leakiness to predict breast cancer chemotherapy outcome

Chemotherapy is an integral part of modern cancer treatment, but it's not always effective.

2 Feb 2009

Use of mammography in U.S. decreases

Nearly two thirds of the states in the US saw a small decrease in mammography utilization between the years 2000 and 2006, according to a study performed at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, GA.

2 Feb 2009

Many women who survived childhood cancer do not undergo recommended breast cancer screening

Despite recommendations and being at an increased risk of breast cancer, most young women who were treated with chest radiation for a childhood cancer do not undergo appropriate mammography screening, according to a study in the January 28 issue of JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association.

29 Jan 2009

Computer-aided detection (CAD) mammography for breast cancer screening

Computer programs designed to help radiologists could identify more cases of breast cancer, but they might also increase the number of false-positive results, which can lead to biopsies in healthy women, according to a recent systematic review.

15 Dec 2008

Magnetic resonance imaging alternated with mammography may be best for high-risk women

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) alternated with mammography at six-month intervals can detect breast cancers not identified by mammography alone, a research team from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center will report at the 31st at the CRTC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.

14 Dec 2008

Untimely death of Kerryn McCann a stark warning

The revelation that champion marathon runner Kerryn McCann did nothing for months after discovering a lump in her breast, is a stark warning to women to heed any changes they notice in their breasts and seek medical advice.

9 Dec 2008

Mammography screening in women over 80

A lack of clear-cut, scientific evidence illustrating the benefits of mammography screening in women over 80 has created a trail of controversy leading to a disturbing conclusion about cancer care in America.

8 Dec 2008

Breast-specific gamma imaging identifies hidden breast cancer

Breast-Specific Gamma Imaging (BSGI) is shown to be an effective method of identifying mammographically and clinically occult (hidden) breast cancer.

3 Dec 2008

Positron emission mammography effective in detecting breast cancer

A study has found that positron emission mammography (PEM), a new technique for imaging the breast, is not affected by either breast density or a woman's hormonal status, two factors that limit the effectiveness of standard mammography and MRI at detecting cancer.

3 Dec 2008

Molecular breast imaging technique shows greater sensitivity over mammography, ultrasound and MRI for difficult to diagnose breast cancer

Breast-Specific Gamma Imaging (BSGI) has been proven to be a highly sensitive imaging technique for the diagnosis of invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC), a difficult to diagnose breast cancer.

3 Dec 2008

Dual-headed dedicated gamma camera accurately detects small breast tumors

A dual-headed dedicated gamma camera used during molecular breast imaging (MBI) can accurately detect small breast tumors less than 2 cm in size, according to a study performed at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN.

1 Dec 2008