Improving Perception in Digital Breast Tomography: Searching for Masses and Calcifications at the Same Time. NOTE: Note, This is One Study Under Study ID 386409 Projects 1,2,3: Experiments With Non Experts

Brief Summary

A task like breast cancer screening (mammography) can be described as a "hybrid search" task. In basic visual search tasks, observers search for a target among distractors that are not the target. In hybrid search, observers search for two or more target types. In mammography, observers are searching for masses, calcifications ("calcs"), and some other signs of cancer like architectural distortion. In this experiment, the investigators have created a simulated version of mammography where non-expert (non-radiologist) observers can look for simulated masses and calcs. There are two types of stimuli, a 2D version (like an x-ray) and a 3D version (like the output of Digital Breast Tomosynthesis - DBT). The question that is being asked is whether it is better to ask about masses and calcs separately (first one, then the other) or to just let observers look for both at the same time.

Extended protocol

NOTE: This registration is linked to a Human Subjects registration in ASSIST. That, in turn, is part of an NCI Grant, CA207490. The grant describes many proposed experiments and notes that many others might be done as follow-up studies. At the suggestion of the NIH, the investigators grouped these studies into three "studies", each covering multiple experiments. The experiment described here is part of "Study ID 386409 Projects 1,2,3: Experiments with Non experts". It is not possible to register a set of experiments through the PRS system in CT.gov and it is not possible to file an annual report for the grant (RPPR) without an NCT number for projects that have started collecting participants. Accordingly, the investigators are describing one experiment here that would be part of the "Project 2" bundle of studies.

These experiments take what is known about "hybrid search" tasks from the lab and applies it to clinical mammography. Hybrid search tasks are tasks that involve looking for more than one type of target at the same time (e.g. search for this pillow and any animal in the scene in front of you).