Pain-Free Mammograms May Be on the Horizon
Studies reveal advantages of breast CT scans
 (HealthDay News) -- Women are bound to applaud the latest advancement in breast imaging. Although still experimental, the breast CT, or "computed tomography," scan eliminates the discomfort of a traditional mammogram.
Studies presented at the last two annual meetings of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine suggest that this type of imaging -- in addition to eliminating the need to compress the breast between metal plates -- has another key advantage over traditional mammography.
"Breast CT is superior to mammography for [detecting] masses," explained John Boone, vice chair of research radiology at the University of California Davis, who has been involved since 2004 in developing the breast CT scan for diagnosing breast cancer.
The American Cancer Society recommends that women 40 and older have a screening mammogram every year.
Cancers detected early on are usually smaller and confined to the breast, the cancer society explains. At this stage, a woman's prognosis is much better than it would be if her cancer were to grow larger and spread beyond the breast.
Mammography is better for detecting "microcalcifications," or tiny flecks of calcium in the breast that may be a precursor to cancer, Boone told HealthDay.
However, the CT breast exam, which creates a three-dimensional picture of the breast, appears to be better for detecting masses or lumps in the breast, he said.
So far, more than 200 women have been scanned using a prototype breast CT scanner, Boone reported.
CT scanning is more comfortable than mammography, especially for big-breasted women. The woman lies flat on a special table with her breast suspended through a hole while the scanner rotates around the breast.
Boone is hopeful that the scan may be used not only to diagnose but to treat. He envisions combining the technique with image-guided therapies for treating breast cancer.
Dr. Chika Madu, an assistant professor of radiation oncology at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C., told HealthDay that the concept is good but it might not work for all cancers or all women.
"In small-breasted women, not enough breast may come through the hole sufficiently [to treat]," she said. Cancer that is close to the chest wall rather than the nipple may not be treatable by CT scan either, she added.
For women at high risk of breast cancer, such as those with specific gene mutations or a strong family history of the disease, the American Cancer Society recommends mammography plus magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, scans. These women tend to develop breast cancer at a young age, when their breasts are dense, making it difficult to detect cancer with a mammogram.
In addition to imaging, breast cancer detection also relies on hands-on inspection of the breast. During a clinical breast exam, the doctor or nurse looks for changes in the breast, checks lymph nodes for swelling and feels the breast tissue for lumps. The cancer society says that women in their 20s and 30s should have this exam about every three years as part of a routine health exam. It's recommended annually for women 40 and older.
Breast self-examination is another screening method, although research has shown that it plays a small role in detecting breast cancer. The cancer society suggests it as an option for women beginning in their 20s. Women should be advised about the benefits and limitations of self-examination, it says.
On the Web
To learn more about mammograms and other breast imaging procedures, visit the American Cancer Society.
SOURCES:
HealthDay News; John M. Boone, Ph.D., professor and vice chairman, radiology, and professor, biomedical engineering, University of California Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, Calif.; Chika Madu, M.D., radiation oncologist and assistant professor, radiation oncology, Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, D.C.; American Cancer Society, Atlanta; July 27-31, 2008, and July 28, 2009, American Association of Physicists in Medicine, annual meetings, Houston and Anaheim, Calif.br>
Author:
Karen Pallarito
Publication Date:
Sept. 30, 2009
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