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New imaging tool detects lesions missed during examaniations

New Mammography Technology May Be More Effective Than Standard Screening Tools

Breast-specific gamma imaging (BSGI) is an effective tool for identifying hard-to-detect cancerous breast lesions, say researchers from the Breast Imaging and Interventional Center at George Washington University Medical Center in America.

BSGI technology uses a high-resolution gamma camera that allows for imaging with very mild compression of the breast along with an injection of a low-dose nuclear radiotracer.

In the study presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America held in Chicago in December, researchers reviewed the records of 159 women with at least 1 suspicious or cancerous lesion identified by mammography or physical exam and found that BSGI identified an additional suspicious lesion missed by mammography and physical exam in 46 (29%) of the women. In 14 (36%) of the 39 women who underwent biopsy, the newly discovered lesions were cancerous.

According to the press release announcing the findings, most experts agree that the best way to decrease breast cancer mortality is through early detection using mammography and clinical breast exams. However, some cancers are difficult to detect with these techniques, particularly in the earliest stage when treatment is most effective.

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