Digital Breast Tomosynthesis Shows Superior Breast Cancer Detection Over Mammography in 10-Year Study

Key Insights

• A decade-long study reveals that digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) enhances breast cancer detection rates compared to standard digital mammography.
• DBT demonstrates a significant reduction in the detection of advanced-stage cancers, suggesting earlier diagnosis and intervention.
• The research indicates that DBT has a lower recall rate for additional testing, reducing unnecessary follow-up procedures for patients.

A new 10-year study from Yale School of Medicine indicates that digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) is more effective than traditional digital mammography for breast cancer screening. The study, published in Radiology, demonstrates that DBT not only increases the detection rate of breast cancer but also significantly reduces the rate of advanced cancer diagnoses.

Mammography has long been the standard for breast cancer screening, but conventional 2D mammography can miss up to 20% of cancers and often results in false positives, leading to unnecessary additional testing. DBT, an advanced form of mammography, creates a three-dimensional image of the breast using images from multiple angles, offering a more detailed view.

Key Findings from the Yale Study

The Yale team analyzed nearly 273,000 mammogram screenings, including 35,544 digital mammography screenings and 237,394 DBT screenings. Of these, 1,407 cancers were detected: 142 by mammography and 1,265 by DBT. The study revealed that DBT had a 5.3% cancer detection rate compared to 4.0% for mammography. More importantly, DBT showed a lower rate of detection for advanced cancers (32.7%) compared to mammography (43.6%), suggesting earlier detection of aggressive cancers.

Expert Commentary

"We found that digital mammography and DBT screening mammography found the same types of cancers, but at different stages," said Liane Elizabeth Philpotts, MD, a professor of radiology at Yale School of Medicine. "DBT found more aggressive cancers at an earlier stage compared to digital mammography."

Another significant finding was the lower recall rate for DBT (7.2%) compared to mammography (10.6%), indicating fewer unnecessary follow-up tests for patients. Jaskirandeep Kaur Grewal, co-author of the study, emphasized the benefits of DBT, stating, "DBT's lower recall rate, higher cancer detection rate, and lower rate of advanced cancers is a win, win, win."

Implications for Clinical Practice

The study's results suggest that DBT could lead to earlier detection of breast cancers, potentially improving patient outcomes. The reduced recall rate associated with DBT also minimizes patient anxiety and healthcare costs related to unnecessary follow-up procedures. These findings may encourage healthcare institutions to adopt DBT as the primary screening method for breast cancer.