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.

Black women may not be getting mammograms as often as white women

Black women may not be getting mammograms as often as white women, despite a widespread belief that this particular racial disparity has been overcome, a University of Rochester Medical Center study shows.

27 Aug 2004

Success of breast screening varies between women

Breast cancer may be harder to detect and exclude among women with certain personal and lifestyle characteristics, according to research published in this week's BMJ.

26 Aug 2004

1 in 5 women who have mammograms every 2 years will have to undergo follow up evaluation for a false positive finding

A new long-term study finds over 20 years, only one in five women who have mammograms every two years will have to undergo follow up evaluation for a false positive finding. Only one in 16 will have an unnecessary invasive procedure over two decades.

23 Aug 2004

Women with a history of cancer in their family are better off having MRI scans instead of mammograms

New research by Mieke Kriege at the Department of Medical Oncology, Rotterdam Family Cancer Clinic suggests that women with a history of cancer in their family are better off having MRI scans instead of mammogram's.

28 Jul 2004

Preliminary tests of the new method, which can detect cancer in a sample with as few as 50 cells

Finding cancer in a tiny drop of body fluid containing relatively few cells now may be possible with a new method of analyzing multiple genes in small samples of DNA, the cellular building blocks of our genetic code.

23 Jul 2004

Only about one in twenty women consistently utilized annual mammography over ten years

Women across age, racial and socioeconomic spectrums underutilize the recommended annual breast cancer screening, effectively reducing the life-saving benefits of annual mammography.

24 Jun 2004

More mammograms key to tackling breast cancer

Mammograms have helped to lower death rates from breast cancer, but a new report by the Institute of Medicine suggest a lot more needs to be done to improve breast cancer screening and save even more lives.

22 Jun 2004

Joint initiative to tackle cancer, diabetes, heart disease and stroke

Three of the nation’s leading not-for-profit health agencies today announced a joint initiative to empower Americans to help lower their risk of cancer, diabetes, heart disease and stroke by following a single set of recommendations.

16 Jun 2004

Mammograms, wider access, better technologies needed

Mammography has helped lower the death rate from breast cancer, but a new report by the Institute of Medicine says much could be done to improve breast cancer screening and save even more lives.

12 Jun 2004

In-depth examination of potential improvements for breast cancer screening

A report released today by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and the National Research Council of the National Academies provides an in-depth examination of potential improvements for breast cancer screening and detection services in the United States.

11 Jun 2004

Magnetic resonance imaging better than traditional mammography for detecting the presence of breast cancer

Researchers from the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania today presented the first comprehensive study results which show that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is significantly better than traditional mammography for detecting the presence and extent of disease in patients with a diagnosis of breast cancer.

10 Jun 2004

Improving access to mammographies offers greatest potential for reducing lives lost to breast cancer

While new technologies hold promise for increasing the accuracy of breast cancer detection, improving access to mammography and broadening the pool of medical personnel who can interpret mammograms offer the greatest potential for immediately reducing the number of lives lost to breast cancer in the United States

10 Jun 2004

Women who are overweight or obese are more likely to receive a false-positive result on mammography screenings

Women who are overweight or obese are more likely to receive a false-positive result on mammography screenings than normal weight and underweight women, according to an article in the May 24 issue of The Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

24 May 2004

Women are not checking for colon cancer

Many women who regularly get checked for breast cancer and cervical cancer still don’t go for a test that could save them from another big killer -- colon cancer – according to new University of Michigan research. But perhaps their mammogram and Pap smear appointments could be used as “teachable moments” to help prompt them to get their colons checked, the researchers suggest.

15 May 2004

Kodak forms JV with NZ researchers for world’s first non-invasive digital imaging breast screening technique

The multi-national Eastman Kodak Company is forming a joint venture company with researchers at the University of Canterbury, to develop the world’s first non-invasive digital imaging breast screening technique.

6 May 2004

Swedish Medical Center has unveiled the world's most advanced mobile mammography center

Swedish Medical Center today unveiled the world's most advanced mobile mammography center. Known as the "Swedish Breast Care Express," the 64-foot self-contained coach features the latest full-field digital mammography equipment. And it will be the first unit to incorporate a complete rooftop satellite system for transmitting images remotely.

5 May 2004

New electromagnetic imaging techniques to help detect breast abnormalities

Researchers are testing three promising new electromagnetic imaging techniques to help detect breast abnormalities, including cancer. The findings of the benchmark study will be published in the May issue of the journal Radiology.

3 May 2004

Unmarried women do not feel comfortable at doctors

Regardless of sexual orientation, unmarried women ages 40 to 75 voiced reluctance to undergo routine cancer screening tests, feeling out of place or misunderstood in health care settings, according to the first wave of information from a five-year Brown University Cancer Screening Project for Women.

12 Apr 2004

iCAD issued with Fulcrum mammography film digitizer patent

iCAD, Inc., which designs, develops and markets Computer Aided Detection (CAD) imaging technology and systems for the early detection of breast cancer and other medical applications, today announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued the Company two patents for its Fulcrum mammography film digitizer and technology.

24 Mar 2004