Study: 3D Mammograms 41% More Effective Than Traditional Mammograms
By Lynne Adkins
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - 3D mammograms spot more cancers and save women more sleepless nights than regular mammograms, according to a new study.
3-D mammograms find 41-percent more of the cases of invasive breast cancer and will reduce the number of false positives, according to a new multi site survey.
Dr. Debra Copit Director of Breast Imaging at Einstein Helathcare Network says the test known as breast tomosynthesis isn't actually three dimensional. It angles the x-ray as it goes thru the breast and displays images in thin layers.
"Sometime when we're tyring to find things they're hidden behind normal breatst tissue. It's part of the reason we use compression to flatten out the breast tissue as much as possible," Dr. Copit said. "The compression can't do what 3D does."
She admits the 3D mammograms take a few seconds longer than regular ones and cost a bit more, but the benefit is significant.