In the News

Shorter Noncontrast-Enhanced Breast MRI Protocol May Reduce Number Of Unnecessary Biopsies

Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Aunt Minnie (9/30, Forrest) reports that “a shorter noncontrast-enhanced breast MRI protocol might help reduce the number of unnecessary biopsies by gathering additional information about suspicious lesions found on screening mammography while cutting scanning time.” In fact, “with a negative predictive value of 92%, the accuracy of the diffusion-weighted imaging with background suppression (DWIBS) protocol was comparable to that of conventional diagnostic MRI and an abbreviated contrast-enhanced protocol.” The findings were published online Sept. 29 in Radiology.  

Computer-Aided Detection Does Not Improve Diagnostic Accuracy Of Mammography, Study Indicates

Tuesday, September 29, 2015
The AP (9/29, Tanner) reports that research suggests that “computer-assisted detection used in most U.S. mammograms adds no benefit to breast cancer screening while substantially increasing costs.” The study was published in JAMA Internal Medicine. The research “involved nearly 324,000 women who had digital mammograms from 2003 to 2009.”

Postmastectomy Radiotherapy Should Not Be Routinely Recommended For Breast Cancer Patients With Microscopic Nodal Metastases And T1-2 Tumors, Study Suggests

Monday, September 28, 2015
Oncology Practice (9/27, Nelson) reports that research suggests that “postmastectomy radiotherapy should not be routinely recommended for breast cancer patients with microscopic nodal metastases (N1mic) and T1-2 tumors.” Investigators found that “in patients with T1-2, N1 disease who were treated with standard therapies, the study authors found that overall, there were low rates of locoregional failure.” The findings were presented at the 2015 Breast Cancer Symposium. 

Expert Equates Personalized Mammography Screening To Healthcare Rationing

Wednesday, September 16, 2015
Aunt Minnie (9/16, Yee) reports that an opinion piece published online Sept. 8 in the American Journal of Roentgenology asserts that “personalized” mammography “screening equates to healthcare rationing.” Aunt Minnie interviews the author of that commentary, Dr. Stephen Feig, of the University of California-Irvine, who pointed out, “Studies have found that not screening supposedly lower-risk women – that is, those without a family history of the disease or dense tissue – would miss 80% of breast cancers.” Dr. Feig added, “If you cut back on screening, you’ll reduce the number of lives saved – it’s that simple.” 

Researchers Awarded $2.5M Grant To Develop New Breast Cancer Screening Methods

Wednesday, September 9, 2015
HealthImaging (9/9, Godt) reports that the National Cancer Institute has awarded the University of Oklahoma (OU) and Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City a $2.5 million grant for the “development of new short-term breast cancer risk prediction models,” which “aim to help increase cancer detection of breast MRI, according to OU.”
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