Digital Mammography Articles

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1. Digital Mammography Articles & Links

Article title: Digital vs. Film Mammography in the Digital Mammographic Imaging Screening Trial (DMIST): Questions and Answers

Summary: The study showed that digital mammography was significantly better that film mammography in screening women who were under age 50, or women of any age who had very dense breasts. Digital mammography allows improvement in image storage and transmission because images can be stored and sent electronically. Secondary goals measuring the relative cost-effectiveness of both digital and film technologies, and the effect on participant quality of life due to the expected reduction of false positives are still being assessed and will be reported at a later date. Death rates from breast cancer have been declining since 1990, and these decreases are believed to be the result, in part, or earlier detection and improved treatment.

Link: http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/DMISTQandA

Article Title: Digital Mammography Trial Results Announced: Women with Dense Breasts, Women Younger than 50, and Those Who are Perimenopausal May Benefit from Digital Mammograms

Summary: Preliminary results from a large, clinical trial of digital vs. film mammography show no difference in detecting breast cancer for the general population of women in the trial. However, those women with dense breasts, who are pre- or perimenopausal (women who had a last menstrual period within 12 months of their mammograms), or who are younger than age 50 may benefit from having a digital rather than a film mammogram. The results were reported September 16, 2005 in a special online publication of the New England Journal of Medicine* and at a meeting of the American College of Radiology Imaging Network (ACRIN) in Pentagon City, Va.

Link: http://www.cancer.gov/newscenter/pressreleases/DMISTrelease

Article title: Digital Mammogram an Efficient Tool in Cancer Fight

Summary: When it comes to digital mammography, think about your camera. The digital photo isn’t a lot better than the film version, but its resolution may be a bit more crisp. The benefit of digital is that you can tinker with it until you get the best image possible. So, too, with digital mammography.

Link: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6197823

Article Title: University of South Florida Digital Mammography Summary: DDSM: Digital Database for Screening Mammography

Link: http://marathon.csee.usf.edu/Mammography/Database.html

Article title: Digital mammograms are better, but scarce, By Rita Rubin, USA TODAY

Summary: Although a study sponsored by the National Cancer Institute has concluded that digital mammography is superior to film mammography for certain women, most candidates for the new screening technology will have a hard time finding it, at least at first.

Link: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/discoveries/2005-09-18-digital-mammograms-better_x.htm

Articles Title: FULL FIELD DIGITAL MAMMOGRAPHY, Article by Mark Helvie, M.D.

Summary: A new type of mammography equipment called full-field digital mammography has generated a good deal of press during its first year of availability in the United States. Mammography remains the best method of early breast cancer detection. However, traditional film-screen mammography is limited in its ability to detect some cancers, especially those occurring in women with radiographically “dense” breasts. For this reason, extensive research efforts to improve mammography have occurred. Digital mammography offers theoretical advantages compared to film-screen mammography for cancer detection. I will discuss this new technology, its current use, and future applications

Link: http://www.cancernews.com/data/Article/210.asp

Article Title: Digital Mammography

Summary: In digital mammography, the processes of image acquisition, display, and storage are separated, which allows optimization of each. Radiation transmitted through the breast is absorbed by an electronic detector, the response of which is faithful over a wide range of intensities. Once this information is recorded, it can be displayed by using computerimage-processing techniques to allow arbitrary settings of image brightness and contrast, without the need for further exposure to the patient. In this article, the current state of the art in technology for digital mammography and data from clinical trials that support the use of the technology will be reviewed. In addition, several potentially useful applications that are being developed with digital mammography will be described.

Link: http://radiology.rsnajnls.org/cgi/reprint/234/2/353.pdf

Article Title:

Digital Mammography, Broadcast Monday 31 August 1998
with Norman Swan

Summary: This relatively new technique of digital mammography might make a big difference in detecting breast cancers and perhaps preventing unnecessary biopsies.

Link:

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/8.30/helthrpt/stories/s11998.htm

Article Title: Digital Mammography Trial Results Announced: Women with Dense Breasts, Women Younger than 50, and Those Who are Perimenopausal May Benefit from Digital Mammograms

Summary: Preliminary results from a large, clinical trial of digital vs. film mammography show no difference in detecting breast cancer for the general population of women in the trial. However, those women with dense breasts, who are pre- or perimenopausal (women who had a last menstrual period within 12 months of their mammograms), or who are younger than age 50 may benefit from having a digital rather than a film mammogram. The results were reported September 16, 2005 in a special online publication of the New England Journal of Medicine* and at a meeting of the American College of Radiology Imaging Network (ACRIN) in Pentagon City, Virginia

Link: http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/sep2005/nci-16.htm

Article Title: Diagnostic Performance of Digital versus Film Mammography for Breast-Cancer

Screening Summary: Film mammography has limited sensitivity for the detection of breast cancer in women with radio graphically dense breasts. We assessed whether the use of digital mammography would avoid some of these limitations.

Link: http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/abstract/NEJMoa052911

Article Title: Digital Mammography Better for Younger Women and Women with Dense Breasts

Summary: Mammography is probably the most important tool doctors have to help diagnose breast cancer and follow women who’ve had it. Safe and highly accurate, a mammogram is an X-ray photograph of the breast. Leading experts, including the National Cancer Institute, the American Cancer Society, and the American College of Radiology, recommend a mammogram every year for women age 40 and older.

Link: http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/testing/new_research/110705.jsp

Article Title: FDA APPROVES FIRST DIGITAL MAMMOGRAPHY SYSTEM

Summary: FDA has approved the Senographe 2000D, the first mammography system that produces digital images on a solid state receptor instead of analog images on a radiographic film. Film/screen (analog) mammography along with physical examination and breast self-examination is the standard method for breast cancer screening in women. The following information may be used to answer questions.

Link: http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/ANSWERS/ANS01000.html

Article Title: Digital Mammography, Author: Jessica W. T. Leung, MD

Summary: Digital mammography is an exciting and promising new technology in breast cancer detection and diagnosis. This technology has been in development for the past decade, and the first unit for clinical use received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in January 2000. Since that time, two other manufacturers have received FDA approval for their digital mammography unit. Digital mammography is being gradually integrated into clinical practice.

Link: http://www.radiology.ucsf.edu/research/02mammo.shtml

Article Title: Film/Image Viewing Equipment – By Brand Name! Summary: A valuable link to manufacturers by name

Link: http://www.pnwx.com/Equipment/ViewEquip/?Sr=Go&gclid=CKbI586bgJACFQU3gQoddBSPog

Article title: Digital mammograms may be more accurate, By Katherine Hobson

Summary: New digital mammograms more accurately detect breast cancer than a standard mammogram for a significant group of women. That’s the conclusion of a large government study that appears today in the online edition of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Link: http://health.usnews.com/usnews/health/briefs/breastcancer/hb050916a.htm

Article Title: Why Are Digital Mammograms Better?

Summary: A recently released study funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) has confirmed the superiority of digital mammography over film screen mammography in detecting breast cancer, particularly in women younger than 50 and in those with dense breasts. This technology is offered in Little Rock only at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS).

Link: http://www.uams.edu/healing/digital_mammogram_2005.asp

Article Title: Michigan Cancer Center – Digital Mammography Summary: The introduction of digital mammography has generated considerable controversy and confusion among consumers, the health care providers who advise them, and health facilities considering the purchase of this technology

Link: http://www.michigancancer.org/WhatWeDo/positionpapers-digmamm.cfm

Article Title: Digital Mammography Results In Technologists’ Time Savings But Physician Time Loss

Summary: Digital mammography saves technologists’ time, but increases physician time compared to film screen mammography, a new study shows.

Link: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/47655.php

Article Title: Digital mammography doesn’t improve breast cancer detection rates, study

Summary: Digital mammography provides no clear-cut improvements over traditional film X-rays in the ability to detect cases of breast cancer, says a new technology assessment report. The technology does, however, offer other benefits, including slightly lower radiation doses for patients, that may prompt its increasing use despite its much higher costs.

Link: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/25933.php

Article Title: Digital Imaging for Hospital and Community Based Mammography

University of California, Los Angeles, Initial Award Abstract (1995)

Summary: Early detection is crucial in reducing the economic and human costs of breast cancer. Digital mammography, which generates electronic images of the breast instead of the traditional photographic films, offers a significant advance in the early detection and diagnosis of breast cancer. In addition to providing earlier detection, digital mammography will facilitate the use of advanced computer programs to help all California women obtain more prognostic breast cancer examinations. The goal of this project is to develop an innovative computer information system to provide cost-effective digital mammography in a hospital or community clinic.

Link: http://www.cbcrp.org/research/PageGrant.asp?grant_id=40

Article Title: Viewpoint: Examine|Mammography: Mammography in a Digital Light, The technologist’s role in evaluating new technology, by Stephen Archer

Summary: A majority of U.S. mammography screening sites are considering implementing digital technology for mammography screening within the next three years. About one-fourth of all sites already have at least one digital imaging system. With this dramatic change on the horizon, it’s important for mammography technologists to understand the challenges and the benefits digital systems can offer. Technologists can expect to play an important role in the evaluation of digital technologies since these decisions often involve a team-based purchasing approach comprised of administrators, technologists, radiologists and other users.

Link: Click Here

Article Title: Digital mammography image quality: image display. Siegel E, Krupinski E, Samei E, Flynn M, Andriole K, Erickson B, Thomas J, Badano A, Seibert JA, Pisano ED. University of Maryland, Department of Radiology, Baltimore, MD, USA.

Summary: This paper on digital mammography image display is 1 of 3 papers written as part of an intersociety effort to establish image quality standards for digital mammography. The information included in this paper is intended to support the development of an American College of Radiology (ACR) guideline on image quality for digital mammography.

Link: Click Here

Article title: IMAGING & THERAPEUTIC TECHNOLOGY

Image Processing Algorithms for Digital Mammography: A Pictorial Essay

Summary: Digital mammography systems allow manipulation of fine differences in image contrast by means of image processing algorithms. Different display algorithms have advantages and disadvantages for the specific tasks required in breast imaging—diagnosis and screening.

Link: http://radiographics.rsnajnls.org/cgi/content/full/20/5/1479

Article title: Computer-Aided Detection with Full-Field Digital Mammography

Assessment Program, Volume 21, No. 3, May 2006

Summary: Computer-aided detection (CAD) with full-field digital mammography (FFDM) is proposed as an adjunct to radiologists’ reading of digital mammograms. In the fall of 2005, the results of the American College of Radiology Imaging Network’s (ACRIN) Digital Mammographic Imaging Screening Trial (DMIST) were released. The trial showed with reasonable certainty that there was no difference in accuracy between FFDM and screen-film mammography (SFM) for a symptomatic women in general

Link: http://www.bcbs.com/betterknowledge/tec/vols/21/21_03.html

Article title: Does digital mammography detect DCIS earlier than conventional X-ray mammography? Dr. Cecilia Brennecke:

Summary: X-ray mammography is the cornerstone screening method when it comes to finding cancer early. Digital mammography produces an X-ray image using digital technology, which is more like a TV monitor. The standard way of producing an X-ray image uses film, which is more like a movie. Film produces an image that is a little bit sharper than a digital image. Digital is still new, and companies that make the equipment want radiologists to buy it.

Link: http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/testing/ask_expert/2003_07/question_03.jsp

Article title: Image Processing Algorithms for Digital Mammography: A PictorialEssay

Summary: Digital mammography systems allow manipulation of fine differences in image contrast by means of image processing algorithms. Different display algorithms have advantages and disadvantages for the specific tasks required in breast imaging––diagnosis and screening. Manual intensity windowing can produce digital mammograms very similar to standard screen-film mammograms but is limited by its operator dependence. Histogram-based intensity windowing improves the conspicuity of the lesion edge, but there is loss of detail outside the dense parts of the image. Mixture-model intensity windowing enhances the visibility of lesion borders against the fatty background, but the mixed parenchyma densities abutting the lesion may be lost. Contrast- limited adaptive histogram equalization can also provide subtle edge information but might degrade performance in the screening setting by enhancingthe visibility of nuisance information. Unsharp masking enhances the sharpness of the borders of mass lesions, but this algorithm may make even an indistinct mass appear more circumscribed. Peripheral equalization displays lesion details well and preserves the peripheral information in the surrounding breast, but there may be flattening of image contrast in the nonperipheral portions of the image. Trex processing allows visualization of both lesion detail and breast edge information but reduces image contrast.

Link: Click Here

Article Title: Interpretation of Digital Mammograms: Comparison of Speed and Accuracy of Soft-Copy versus Printed-Film Display

Summary: To compare the speed and accuracy of the interpretations of digitalmammograms by radiologists by using printed-film versus soft-copy display.MATERIALS AND METHODS: After being trained in interpretation of digital mammograms, eight radiologists interpreted 63 digital mammograms, all with oldstudies for comparison. All studies were interpreted by all readers in soft-copy and printed-film display, with interpretations of images in the same cases at least month apart. Mammograms were interpreted in cases that included six biopsy proved cancers and 20 biopsy-proved benign lesions, 20 cases of probably benign findings in patients who underwent 6-month follow-up, and 17 cases without apparent findings. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (Az),sensitivity, and specificity were calculated for soft-copy and printed-film display. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the speed of interpretation, butinterpretations with soft-copy display were slightly faster. The differences in Az,sensitivity, and specificity were not significantly different; Az and sensitivity wereslightly better for interpretations with printed film, and specificity was slightly better for interpretations with soft copy.

CONCLUSION: Interpretation with soft-copy display is likely to be useful with digital mammography and is unlikely to significantly change accuracy or speed.

Link: Click Here