News

3D Tomosynthesis-CAD mark mass*

For the past two years, clinical tomosynthesis trials have been taking place in the Department of Diagnostic Radiology at the University Hospital of Malmö in Sweden. Tomosynthesis is a 3D breast examination tool that overcomes the limitations of detecting certain cancers due to the anatomical structures that tend to overlap tumors when using a conventional digital mammography system. Tomosynthesis takes numerous low dose images of the breasts at different angles. These images are slice-like and, once pieced together, these slices allow for the early detection of breast cancer, enabled through the greater detail and clearer information that is provided in these images.

Ingvar Andersson, MD, from the Department of Diagnostic Radiology at the University Hospital of Malmö states, “The main limitation of 2D projection mammography is that the anatomical structures above and below a tumour may limit the radiologist’s ability to detect a cancer. Digital breast tomosynthesis is a new 3D technique that is showing clear evidence in overcoming this limitation.”

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2D Mammography Projection: LLM*

Initial Results

Andersson released the initial results of the clinical trials. In Sweden, the study used thirty-six patients with forty breast cancer lesions, a Siemens digital mammography system, and a Siemens tomosynthesis module. These forty cancers were very difficult to interpret on the 2D digital mammography system. Results showed that twenty-two out of the forty lesions in the breast cancer sample were better visualized with the 3D tomosynthesis information rather than with the one-view 2D digital mammography system. Eleven cases were still better visualized with tomosynthesis compared with the two-view digital mammography system. Evidence shows that by acquiring several views of the breast at different angels and being able to reconstruct the slice images, tomosynthesis provides better results when compared to conventional and digital mammography. According to Andersson, ”Further studies are in progress, but tomosynthesis will have an important role to play in the future of breast care and is likely to replace mammography in the future.”