A new study has concluded that digital mammography can detect a significantly higher rate of breast cancers, according to U.S. researchers.
In the study, conducted by researchers at the San Luis Diagnostic Center in California, the number of cancers detected before switching from film-screen to digital mammography averaged between 4.1 to 4.5 cancers per 1,000 imaged.
However, following the switch, cancer detection rates climbed to 7.9 cancers per 1,000 women imaged, and has remained at that level, according to the study, which was published in the American Journal of Roentgenology.
Right now, 60 to 70 percent of screening facilities in the U.S. are using film screen mammography, suggesting that the centers may be missing cancers, the author suggested. However, they also warned that there is a need for more studies to confirm their findings.
To learn more about the study:
- read this UPI piece