Researchers advocate informing patients of detection differences among screening methods
When compared with screen film mammography and digital direct radiography (DR), computed radiography (CR) is significantly less effective at detecting breast cancer tumors, according to a recent study by Cancer Care Ontario (CCO) researchers.
The analysis included 403,688 women who received screen film mammography, 220,520 women who underwent DR, and 64,210 women who were screened by CR.
After 12 months of follow-up, Anna M. Chiarelli, PhD, senior scientist in Prevention and Cancer Control at CCO, and colleagues determined that DR identified 4.9 cancers per 1000 mammograms (almost identical to the rate of 4.8 per 1000 mammograms seen with film screen), and CR revealed 3.4 cancers per 1000 mammograms.
Chiarelli said, “CR was 21% less effective than DR. This could result in about 10 fewer cancers detected per 10,000 women screened.”
The study is published online in the journal Radiology.
Source: RSNA Press Release.