Digital Breast Tomosynthesis: What We now Know Beyond the Prevalent Screen.

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Medical Imaging
• Oncology

Background:

• Digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) emerged in the early 2010s.
• Initial studies indicated higher cancer detection and lower recall rates with DBT.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) beyond the initial screening round.
• To understand DBT's role in population screening, interval cancer rates, and advanced cancer detection.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of screening rounds beyond the prevalent screen.
• Assessment of interval cancer rates and detection of advanced cancers.

Main Results:

• The prevalent screening round with DBT may overestimate its effectiveness due to the "prevalence effect."
• Long-term assessment is necessary to accurately define DBT's screening performance.

Conclusions:

• Further research on multiple screening rounds is essential for a comprehensive understanding of DBT's benefits.
• DBT's true impact on population screening requires evaluation beyond the initial detection phase.