Digital breast tomosynthesis (3D-mammography) screening: data and implications for population screening

Area of Science:

• Radiology and Medical Imaging
• Oncology
• Public Health

Background:

• Digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT), also known as 3D mammography, is an emerging imaging technology.
• Recent studies have evaluated its efficacy in population-based breast cancer screening programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize the current evidence on the effectiveness of DBT in population breast screening.
• To identify areas for future research, including randomized controlled trials.

Main Methods:

• Review of prospective and retrospective studies comparing DBT with standard mammography for breast cancer screening.
• Analysis of reported incremental cancer detection rates and false recall reductions.

Main Results:

• DBT significantly improves screening detection measures compared to standard mammography.
• Incremental breast cancer detection with adjunct DBT ranges from 0.5-2.7 cases per 1000 screens.
• Absolute false recall reduction attributed to DBT ranges from 0.8-3.6%.

Conclusions:

• Current evidence supports the use of DBT in population breast screening due to improved detection and reduced false recalls.
• Randomized controlled trials are crucial to assess DBT's impact on interval cancer rates and cost-effectiveness, informing screening policy.