Tomosynthesis is effective at reducing recall rates in breast cancer screening, according to a new study published online in Radiology.
In the study, Brian Haas, M.D., and Liane Philpotts from the Yale School of Medicine, along with other colleagues, compared recall and cancer detection rates in two groups of women: those receiving digital mammography alone and those who underwent tomosynthesis, as well as mammography.
The cancer detection rate was 5.7 per 1,000 in patients receiving tomosynthesis, compared with 5.2 per 1,000 in patients receiving mammography alone. The addition of tomosynthesis resulted in a 30 percent reduction in the overall recall rate, from 12.0 percent for mammography alone to 8.4 percent in the tomosynthesis group.
"All age groups and breast densities had reduced risk for recall in the tomosynthesis group," Haas said. "Women with dense breasts and those younger than age 50 particularly benefited from tomosynthesis." He added that fewer recalls reduces cost as well as patient anxiety. Announcement