The AP (10/12, Marchione) reports that research published in the New England Journal of Medicine “questions the value of mammograms for breast cancer screening.” The study indicated “that a woman is more likely to be diagnosed with a small tumor that is not destined to grow than she is to have a true problem spotted early.” The AP points out that “a statement from the American College of Radiology and the Society of Breast Imaging says ‘smaller cancers result in better outcomes for women.’”

Diagnostic Imaging (10/11) reports that research suggests “tomosynthesis used in diagnosis allows for more accurate categorization of breast lesion images.” The findings were published in Radiology. According to the researchers, “Tomosynthesis in the diagnostic setting resulted in progressive shifts in the BI-RADS final assessment categories over time, with a significant increase in the proportion of studies classified as normal, a continued decrease in the rate of studies categorized as probably benign, and improved diagnostic confidence in biopsy recommendations.” 

The Radiology Business Journal (10/10, Wilson) reports that investigators found, after looking at “a more flexible plate as a way to reduce pain during mammography,” that reducing “compression on the center part of the breast by up to 50 percent does not negatively affect the ability to detect cancers.” 

The NPR (10/7, Hobson) “Shots” blog reports that “mammography can prevent deaths from breast cancer, but it’s not a perfect test,” as “it misses some cancers, especially in women with dense breast tissue, and flags abnormalities for follow-up tests that turn out to be benign, among other issues.” American College of Radiology Breast Imaging Commission Chair Debra Monticciolo, MD, FACR, and breast imaging commission member Barbara Monsees, MD, FACR, discuss the pros and cons of using other breast imaging technologies to address these issues. 

Aunt Minnie (10/6) reports that research suggests “contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) can be an effective method for the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant breast lesions, offering improvements in diagnostic accuracy over conventional breast ultrasound.” In the “meta-analysis incorporating nearly 30 studies and more than 2,000 patients,” investigators “found that contrast-enhanced ultrasound offered a combined sensitivity of 88% and specificity of 80%.” Additionally, “diagnostic performance also improved with the advent of second-generation contrast agents.” The findings were published in the Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine.