Study Shows Digital Mammography Benefits

CHICAGO, Dec. 5 -- High-resolution digital mammography resulted in fewer biopsies and the same rate of cancer detection as diagnostic work-ups done with conventional film technology, in a recent study.

Mammograms conducted on 240 consecutive patients using Fischer Imaging's SenoScan TrueView 25/50 digital mammography system were compared with 240 mammograms conducted on a standard film mammography system in the study, led by Steve H. Parker, M.D., of the Sally Jobe Breast Centre, in Denver, Colo.

The research team found that the digital magnification system reduced biopsy rates by 30 percent without sacrificing cancer detection rates.

"Our results show that magnification using digital mammography for diagnostic work-ups is preferable to traditional film mammography in that it can significantly reduce the number of false positives while maintaining the same rate of detection of malignant or borderline lesions," Parker said.

"The value of digital mammography has been debated, as the breast imaging industry has not fully endorsed the technology in the absence of data showing that digital image quality surpasses that of film," Fischer Imaging said in a press release. "Dr. Parker's study may be a step toward resolving this debate."

For more information, visit: www.fischerimaging.com