3-D Mammograms Help Detect More Types of Breast Cancer, Sooner

Statistics show that about 1 in 8 U.S. women will develop an invasive form of breast cancer. For men, their risk is about 1 in 1,000. Regular checkups and mammograms, particularly for women, can help lower the risk. However, detecting certain types of breast cancer may not always be so easy, and too often, a lump may be spotted after the cancer has already metastasized.

A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) shows how 3-d mammography could help detect more elusive types of breast cancer sooner.

"This study confirms what we already know: 3D mammography finds more of the invasive, harmful cancers we want found and saves women the anxiety and cost of having additional exams for what turns out to be a false alarm," said the study's co-author Donna Plecha, MD, Director of Breast Imaging at University Hospitals Case Medical Center, in a news release. "We already knew that breast screening saves lives and this study provides us with firm data that 3D mammography is a better test for detecting breast cancer early when it is treatable."

For the study, researchers examined data provided by the University Hospitals Case Medical Center Seidman Cancer Center, which included close to half a million mammograms performed at 13 different facilities.

Though 3D mammography, also called tomosynthesis, was approved in 2011, many insurers who did not cover the procedure still considered the new technology rather experimental.

"Do I think 3D is ready for prime time? I really do," said senior author Emily Conant, Penn's chief of breast imaging, via Philly. "It's evolving technology, but this is a big step forward."

"I definitely believe tomosynthesis is going to become the standard of care," added lead author Sarah H. Friedewald, chief of breast imaging at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, Ill. "We hope this will convince insurers to cover it so it can be available for all women."

During the study, researchers found that 3D mammography increased the rate of successfully detecting invasive cancer by 41 percent. For breast cancer detection in general, 3D mammography increased the rate by 15 percent and lowered the rate of false alarms by 15 percent.

With this evolving technology, more than anything, researchers said they hope to improve early detection of breast cancer along with better treatments following diagnosis.

"Breast cancers caught in the initial stages by mammography are more likely to be cured and are less likely to require chemotherapy or as extensive surgery," said Dr. Plecha, who is also Assistant Professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. "This study shows that 3D mammography is a more effective screening tool, and we must make it accessible to all women."