Originally published June 26 2005
Digital mammography found to be superior to traditional mammograms
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Doctors are finding that digital mammograms detect more breast cancers earlier than traditional x-ray film systems, and have other benefits such as reduced radiation exposure, fewer recalls due to technical failures, quicker examinations and the ability to share and review images remotely, reports Female First.
Women may be dieing unnecessarily as early diagnosise of breast tumours is not being detected by conventional mammography testing equipment.
The results of the new research announced today show that digital mammography detects significantly more breast cancers earlier than the conventional film based systems.
The research indicates that in a group of 500,000 women screened for breast cancer, about 1500 additional cancers would potentially be detected earlier using digital mammography compared with conventional x-ray film-based technology.
The findings are the result of a large scale clinical study carried out in Norway, led by Professor Per Skaane of the Breast Imaging Centre, Ullevaal University Hospital, Oslo.
The study involved a population of approximately 25,000 women and compared the cancer detection rates of digital and film mammography in breast screening.
The cancer detection rate for women aged 50 - 69 was 0.83% using digital compared with 0.54% with film, showing that digital mammography detects tumours earlier.
Jean Hooks, Global Leader for Mammography at GE, said "GE Healthcare developed the world's first digital mammography system.
Conventional film based detection is still a very powerful technique, but digital mammography offers so many advantages to women and clinicians.
These include superior detection rates; reduced radiation exposure; fewer recalls due to technical failures; quicker, more patient centered examinations; and the ability of clinicians to share and review images remotely, which offers the promise of greater efficiency."
She added "Digital mammography will, in the near future, allow even more advanced applications such as 3-D breast imaging, which shows great promise in the detection of cancer."
The image quality and presentation, together with the ability to use instant computer aided detection, lends itself to more accurate analysis by the radiologist.
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