Breast Imaging

Breast imaging includes imaging modalities used for breast cancer screenings and planning therapy once cancer is detected. Mammography is the primary modality used. Mammogram technology is moving from 2D full-field digital mammography (FFDM) to breast tomosynthesis, or 3D mammography, which helps reduce false positive exams by allowing radiologists to look through the layers of tissue. Overlapping areas of dense breast tissue on 2D mammograms appear similar to cancers and 3D tomo helps determine if suspect areas are cancer or not. About 50% of women have dense breast tissue, which appears white on mammograms, the same as cancers, making diagnosis difficult. Radiologists use the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) scoring system to define the density of breast tissue. Many states now require patients to be notified if they have dense breasts so they understand their mammograms might be suboptimal and they should use supplemental imaging that can see through the dense areas. This includes tomosythesis, breast ultrasound, automated breast ultrasound (ABUS), breast MRI, contrast enhanced mammography and nuclear imaging, including positron emission mammography (PEM).

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 background parenchyma enhancement breast MRI

MRI finding linked to heightened cancer risk among women with very dense breasts

A new AI model helped researchers identify a relationship between background parenchyma enhancement on breast MRI exams and breast cancer risk.

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Deep learning detects precancerous changes on mammograms

What’s more, the model proved beneficial in a large, diverse cohort that included women with benign breast disease and BRCA mutations.

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Some radiologists' stress lowered during COVID, but it was short lived

Breast radiologists are known to have higher rates of burnout in comparison to many of their peers, but the beginning of the pandemic brought this group something not often encountered within the specialty—downtime. 

mammogram mammography breast cancer

Women strongly prefer contrast-enhanced mammography over breast MRI for supplemental screening

The findings were reached using an analytic hierarchy process, which can help physicians review options with patients who have never experienced either exam.

mammogram mammography breast cancer

Continued declines in screening mammogram volumes could have 'worrisome implications,' experts warn

The downward trend is most notable in women who have at least one risk factor of severe COVID, new data suggest.

Considerations for supplemental imaging should extend beyond breast density, analysis suggests

Women with increased breast density are targeted significantly more for supplemental imaging than those without dense tissue, but there are other factors that increase the risk of mammography screening failure that should also be considered, according to new data.

87% of mammography centers now have 3D breast imaging systems

Rapid adoption of digital breast tomosynthesis has increasingly made it a new standard of care.

A comparison of standard 2D mammography (right) and digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT), or 3D mammography (left). The DBT creates a data set of 1 mm slices that the radiologist can look through to see more detail in suspect areas and determine if it dense breast tissue is masking a tumor.

Standalone AI excels at reading digital mammograms, but how does it hold up with DBT exams?

Standalone AI can significantly outperform radiologists' sensitivity in reading digital mammograms and has shown potential in DBT exams as well, but experts are not yet ready to hand over the reins.

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