Breast tomosynthesis: present considerations and future applications.
Mammography is an effective imaging tool for detecting breast cancer at an early stage and is the only screening modality proved to reduce mortality from breast cancer. However, the overlap of tissues depicted on mammograms may create significant obstacles to the detection and diagnosis of abnormalities. Diagnostic testing initiated because of a questionable result at screening mammography frequently causes patients unnecessary anxiety and incurs increased medical costs. Breast tomosynthesis, a new tool that is based on the acquisition of three-dimensional digital image data, could help solve the problem of interpreting mammographic features produced by tissue overlap. Although the technology has not yet been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, breast tomosynthesis has the potential to help reduce recall rates, improve the selection of patients for biopsy, and increase cancer detection rates, especially in patients with dense breasts. Supplemental material available at radiographics.rsnajnls.org/cgi/content/full/27/S231/DC1.
Park
Jeong Mi
JM
Division of Breast Imaging and Intervention, Department of Radiology, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Carver College of Medicine, 200 Hawkins Dr, Iowa City, IA 52242-1082, USA. jeongmi-park@uiowa.edu
Franken
Edmund A
EA
Garg
Megha
M
Fajardo
Laurie L
LL
Niklason
Loren T
LT
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001941:Breast Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000295:instrumentation