Mammography

African American women take longer to come in for follow-up care after a suspicious breast abnormality is found, according to a study from the University of South Carolina. The problem may have more to do with economics than race, according to a physician with extensive clinical experience with this unique patient population.

X-ray imaging has provided important diagnostic information for clinical applications for almost a century.

The largest population-based study to date comparing filmscreen mammography and full-field digital mammography has found the digital approach is superior for visualizing microcalcifications deemed crucial to diagnosing ductal carcinoma in situ.

Computer-aided detection software developed especially for coronary CT angiography could boost imagers’ ability to detect clinically relevant stenosis in patients at low to moderate risk of coronary artery disease, according to researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina.

Specialties outside of radiology could benefit from unified databases and iPhone applications.

A long-term study of breast imaging in Massachusetts has confirmed what mammographers have argued for years: older adult women who do not receive regular screening mammography are far more likely to die of breast cancer than women who routinely undergo the procedure.

Radiologists and surgeons doubt the potential value of federal legislation aimed at improved breast cancer awareness among young women and more extensive disease management for patients who undergo breast surgery.

Findings of a South Korean study suggest ultrasound is an effective way to monitor lymph node recurrence after breast cancer surgery.

The largest study to date comparing film-screen and full-field digital mammography found the digital approach better for visualizing microcalcifications deemed crucial to diagnosing ductal carcinoma in situ.

Nearly 70% of cancers found in Mexico’s first breast cancer screening program were in women younger than 60 years old, the reverse of the pattern seen in the U.S. and other developed countries.

With the goal of tailoring cancer interventions for the individual, researchers at the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center at Georgetown University have published the results of a prospective study that validates the use of a simple blood test to help doctors more reliably assess treatment effectiveness for patients with metastatic breast cancer.

Ultrasound is an effective way to monitor lymph node recurrence after breast cancer surgery, South Korean researchers report.

A 40-year-old woman walked into Elizabeth Wende Breast Care in upstate New York for her yearly screening mammogram.

The largest population-based study to date comparing film-screen mammography and full-field digital mammography has found the digital approach is superior for visualizing microcalcifications deemed crucial to diagnosing ductal carcinoma in situ. No other significant difference in the diagnostic capabilities of the digital and analog approaches was identified.

A review article asserting breast MRI does not improve surgical planning, reduce follow-up surgeries, or reduce the risk of local recurrences is drawing fire in the breast imaging community.

A prominent Danish researcher is continuing to question the value of screening mammography, reporting in a new study that one in three breast cancers is overdiagnosed.

Older women who take a short break from hormone therapy do not experience fewer false positives on their screening mammograms than women who continue to take the drugs, though a suspension is associated with small changes in breast density.

Distrust of healthcare providers and may contribute to the low levels of compliance for breast cancer screening among minorities.

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New RIS becomes available University of Utah signs with Philips’ iSite

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ACR prepares to launch mammo database next monthFDA clears attenuation correction softwareCarestream readies value-priced laser imager MedRad unveils informatics product

The American College of Radiology announced June 3 the creation of a national database that will allow mammography facilities to compare their practice performance and outcome data with other facilities.

FloSeal Matrix Hemostatic Sealant may stanch bleeding when other techniques fail, but it also spawns microcalcifications on digital or analog screening mammography that could lead to false positives for breast cancer, according to a case series collected by Loyola University radiologists.

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Distrust of healthcare providers, cultural barriers, lack of information about the benefits of screening, or simply the need to cut corners might all contribute to the levels of compliance for breast cancer screening among minorities, including African American, Hispanic, and lesbian/bisexual women, recent studies show.

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Breast cancer screening rates are declining,according to a recent study by the Centers forDisease Control and Prevention.

In a commentary on the mammography controversypublished in Diagnostic Imaging six and ahalf years ago,2 I discussed how two prestigiousgroups of scientists analyzed data from the eightmost commonly recognized clinical trials onscreening mammography conducted to date andarrived at opposite conclusions.