Recalls of patients after a mammogram have an occurrence rate of 12%. It is a very stressful experience for the patient and it adds to diagnostic costs. With tomosynthesis the recall rate can be reduced from 12% to 8% but the breast cancer detection rate doesn’t change significantly according to a new study lead by Dr. Brian Haas and Dr. Liane E. Philpotts, diagnostic radiology department of Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut, and published in the Journal Radiology.
Tomosynthesis allows for three-dimensional (3-D) reconstruction of the breast tissue. Screening is more accurate because superimposed and overlapping tissue can be removed from the view. The study also indicates that women younger than 50 years old and women with dense breasts are benefiting the most from tomosynthesis.