Tomosintez

2020: The alternative of digital mammography without radiation is found

At the end of October, 2020 researchers of the University of Vermont and University of Pennsylvania suggested to use instead of digital mammography digital tomosintez a mammary gland, integrated with synthetic mammography. At the same time the dose of radiation of patients sharply decreases, and the accuracy of detection of cancer remains at the previous level.

At synthetic visualization the patient receives radiation only during a digital tomosintez, - heads of a research, doctor Samantha Zuckerman and doctor Emily Conant note. - At a combination of a digital tomosintez and digital mammography which is widely used for screening of cancer the patient receives a radiation dose from two inspections at once.

Researchers of the University of Vermont and University of Pennsylvania offered an alternative of digital mammography without radiation - digital tomosintez

Creation of the synthetic image requires that the patient passed digital tomosintez. But instead of one x-ray in one direction the radiologist carries out through a mammary gland several X-rays with a low dose of radiation. Data retrieveds are synthesized for creation of the image, and the computer algorithm reveals consolidation zones, such as kaltsifikata, fibers or sheaves.

The team of scientists conducted a retrospective research in which results over 85 thousand cases of digital mammography and over 65 thousand cases of synthetic mammography were estimated. Researchers checked the frequency of carrying out a biopsy, frequency of false-negative results, frequency of detection of cancer, estimated the predictive value of positive results of a research, their sensitivity and specificity.

As a result they came to a conclusion that these methods of screening on a breast cancer are comparable by efficiency, and main advantage of use of synthetic mammography instead of digital mammography is decrease in a dose of radiation of the patient almost by 50%.^[1]

2019: Carestream provided technology of a digital tomosintez

At the end of October, 2019 Carestream provided technology of a digital tomosintez which allows to create detailed three-dimensional diagnostic images on the basis of one inspection. Read more here.

2017: Comparison from digital mammography at diagnosis of cancer

On December 8, 2017 on a symposium on a breast cancer in San Antonio the team of researchers announced that at cost estimation, connected with diagnosis of a breast cancer, tomosintez was cheaper than digital mammography.

Our research also confirms that use of a tomosintez is economically more effective and associated with improvement of results of screening, - the leading author of a research and the head of department of visualization researches of a mammary gland of Penn Medicine company Emily Conant told.

Doctor Konant and her command estimated actual costs and results of treatment of patients within a single system of health care where were carried out as tomosintez, and digital mammography. In a research 46,483 cases of the screening which was carried out in 2012-2013 in two hospitals of the University of Pennsylvania were analyzed.

Women with already diagnosed breast cancer or the women who reached 90-year age before the end of the period of observation were excluded from a research. At the same time 53% of women passed digital mammography, and 47% - tomosintez.

Researchers classified all results as truly positive, truly negative, false positive and false-negative by BI-RADS indicator. They found out what tomosintez is more effective method of screening as at its use the frequency of false positive results was lower, and truly negative - above.

The initial cost of use of a tomosintez was higher, than at digital mammography — $378.02 in comparison with $286.62, however were not revealed a significant difference in the cost of the most diagnostic procedure or identification of operable stages of cancer.

"Digital tomosintez it is considered "the new, improved mammography", however it still is not paid by insurance companies — doctor Konant explained. — Though screening using a tomosintez took place researches on cost efficiency, the analysis concerning the actual results of treatment and actual costs on further images of the patient was not carried out earlier".[2]

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