Study: Mammography Plus Tomosynthesis More Effective at Preventing False-Positive Breast Cancer Diagnoses
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monkeybusinessimages/iStockphoto/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — A study partially supported by the National Cancer Institute found that while more expensive, women with dense breasts are better served by receiving a mammogram combined with a process called tomosynthesis than a mammogram alone.
The study, published in the journal Radiology, found that adding the tomosynthesis to a standard mammogram can reduce over-diagnosis of breast cancer in women ages 50 to 74 with dense breasts. Researchers used data from the NCI’s Breast Cancer Surveillance to compare the effectiveness of the two screening options.
The tomography and mammography combined prevented 405 false diagnoses per 1,000 women through 12 rounds of screening, according to the study.
This method, researchers say, while more expensive than just a standard mammogram, could eliminate unnecessary diagnostic work-ups and invasive procedures — and the costs that accompany them — that result from false-positive diagnoses.
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