Stereoscopic Digital Mammography
Results of a clinical trial at Emory University Breast Clinic in Atlanta were presented showing that stereoscopic digital mammography, a new diagnostic technique capable of producing three-dimensional, in-depth views of breast tissue, could significantly reduce the number of women who are recalled for additional tests following routine screening mammography. Stereoscopic digital mammography consists of two digital x-ray images of the breast taken at two different points of view. When viewed on a stereo display workstation, a radiologist can see the internal structure of the breast in three dimensions. In the ongoing clinical trial, researchers use a full-field digital mammography unit that is modified to take pairs of stereo images. The mammographer then fuses the stereo image pair and views the breast in depth. David J. Getty, Ph.D. division scientist at BBN Technologies of Cambridge, MA, said that stereo viewing is the only way to see the structure within the breast volume in true depth. Dr. Getty has been working on the development of the technology for over 12 years. There were 1,093 patients at elevated risk for developing breast cancer enrolled in the trial. Each received a full-field, standard digital mammography screening and a full-field, stereoscopic digital exam that were read by different radiologists. There were 259 suspicious findings detected by the combined mammography procedures and referred for further testing. Of those, 109 were diagnosed as true lesions. Standard mammography missed 40 of the 109 lesions; the stereoscopic exam failed to detect 24. Dr. Getty feels that these early results suggest that stereo digital mammography could contribute to the earlier detection of cancer.

Ethnic and Socioeconomic Considerations

Limited understanding of mammography still exists across different ethnic and socioeconomic groups, according to Nazia F. Jafri, MD, medical intern at Mount Auburn Hospital in Boston. Dr. Jafri and colleagues presented a survey at RSNA that showed that Black and Hispanic women have a different understanding of screening mammography compared to Caucasian women. The researchers surveyed 1,011 women of various educational, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds who underwent screening mammography at Boston University Medical Center. The survey asked women questions about their understanding of mammography and their preferences regarding callback after a suspicious finding. Nearly one-third of Black and Hispanic women thought mammography would detect more cancers than it actually does. According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, African-American women between the ages of 35 and 44 have a breast cancer death rate more than double the rate for Caucasian women in the same age group, even though breast cancer incidence tends to be lower among minority women than among Caucasian women. And, Hispanic women in the United States are 20 percent more likely to be diagnosed with late-stage breast cancer than Caucasian women. The researchers tried to determine if ethnicity or socioeconomic background made a difference in women's beliefs or opinions regarding breast cancer screening and early detection. One of the conclusions was that limited increased community outreach and education targeted at minority and underserved women may lead to better breast cancer prognoses in these groups.

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