Digital mammography can outdo film in cancer detection

Full-field digital mammography is comparable to screen-film mammography in breast cancer detection and may even be more effective in certain groups of patients, Norwegian researchers report in the July issue of Radiology.

As lead investigator Dr. Per Skaane told Reuters Health, “This is the first study showing that full-field digital mammography is at least equivalent to the screen-film technique for breast cancer detection in a breast cancer screening program.”Furthermore, “in the 50 to 69 year age group, the cancer detection rate was even slightly higher for digital mammography as compared to the conventional technique”.Drs. Skaane and Arnulf Skjennald of Ullevaal University Hospital, Oslo, studied 25,263 women aged 45 to 69 years who were randomized to digital or film mammography.In total 73 cancers were detected in 17,911 women in the film group (0.41%). In the digital group, 41 cancers were found in 6,997 women (0.59%).In those aged 50 to 69 years, the film detection rate was 0.54% compared to 0.83% in the digital group, a difference that approached significance.In women aged 45 to 49 years, the film detection rate was 0.22% and the digital rate was 0.27%. Summing up, Dr. Skaane added that “full-field digital mammography has several potential benefits in an organized breast cancer screening program, and this new technology will most probably replace the conventional screen-film mammography.”(Source: Radiology 2004;232:197-204: Reuters Health: June 2004)