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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Abbreviated breast MRI deemed an attractive screening option—sometimes

AB-MRI is a cost-effective means of screening women with dense breast tissue for breast cancer—as long as the per-exam costs don’t top 82% of what would have been spent to perform full-protocol breast MRI.

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AI-based mammo screening protocol reduces radiologist workload by 62%

Researchers reported that the artificial intelligence system was able to interpret more than 114,000 screening mammograms using a reading protocol with high sensitivity and specificity.

coronavirus COVID-19 vaccine vaccination

FDG PET/CT radiomics distinguishes between vaccine-related or metastatic breast cancer lymphadenopathy

The findings could help clinicians manage patients’ treatment when the origin of axillary lymphadenopathy is of concern, experts suggested. 

breast radiologist breast cancer mammography

Screening breast MRI results in more downstream healthcare costs than mammography alone

Women who underwent magnetic resonance imaging experienced more subsequent scans, procedures, healthcare visits and hospitalizations. 

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Experts advocate for ‘one-stop-shop’ cancer screening approach to address COVID-related backlogs

Radiology and other specialties should reimagine a system requiring numerous separate visits for breast, lung, prostate, cervical, colorectal, and skin cancer, editorialists argued.

breast cancer screening mammography

DBT-based radiomics nomogram predicts lymphovascular invasion in breast cancer patients

The DBT-based combined radiomic nomogram achieved a specificity of nearly 95% when predicting lymphovascular invasion, which was higher than other clinical predictive models. 

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FDA clears device to aid in breast localization during imaging-guided biopsy

Merit Medical Systems claims its system is the first wire-free solution providers can deploy during such MRI-based procedures. 

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'Surprising' decline in annual screening among breast cancer survivors has experts concerned

The downward trend in annual mammography adherence should serve as a call to action for new processes to engage breast cancer survivors, physicians urged.