Breast tomosynthesis shines in early study.(News)

CHICAGO -- Breast tomosynthesis was equivalent or superior to conventional diagnostic mammography in 9 of 10 women in a preliminary study of 98 women.

"In a screening capacity, we estimate about a 40% decrease in screening mammography, which would be a huge benefit to women and public health to save the patient the anxiety, cost, and time of going for diagnostic evaluation," lead author Dr. Steven P. Poplack said at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America.

Nationally, about 12% of all screening mammograms are recalled for additional evaluation.

The investigational three-dimensional technique uses conventional x-ray tubes and digital imaging plates. But a series of low-dose exposures are made every few degrees while the x-ray tube is rotated over the patient in a 30-degree arc, creating a series of digital images.

The individual digital images are then reconstructed into a series of thin, high-resolution slices that can be displayed individually or in a dynamic cine mode, said Dr. Poplack, who serves as a scientific advisory board member for Hologic Inc., which sponsored the study.

He presented data from a study in which 98 women with abnormal digital screening mammograms were sequentially recruited and underwent tomosynthesis of the affected breasts.

Tomosynthesis images were evaluated prospectively and compared with the initial screening mammography exams showing 112 findings in the women.