Keywords:
Breast, Mammography, Digital radiography
Authors:
Y. Y. Lim, R. Borgen, S. Gadde, S. Bundred, E. Hurley; Manchester/UK
DOI:
10.1594/ecr2010/C-0298
Purpose
Breast screening has traditionally relied on screen-film mammography but advances in technology have led to the introduction of digital mammography in this setting. Many studies have been published comparing digital mammography and screen film mammography in breast screening in the general population. The results are mixed but generally showed that digital mammography has similar diagnostic accuracy as screen-film mammography.
Digital mammography, however, has been shown to be more accurate in women under the age of 50 years, women with radiographically dense breasts, and in pre- and peri-menopausal women. The increased accuracy in women of younger age group and in those with dense breasts is particularly relevant in patients with familial breast cancer in view of the publication from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) in the United Kingdom, recommending annual mammographic surveillance in women with high risk of breast carcinoma.
The aim of this study is to determine the impact of the introduction of digital mammography on the screening of women with familial breast cancer and therefore at high risk of breast carcinoma.