Breast Imaging

Breast imaging includes imaging modalities used for breast cancer screenings and planning therapy once cancer is detected. Mammography is the primary modality used. Mammogram technology is moving from 2D full-field digital mammography (FFDM) to breast tomosynthesis, or 3D mammography, which helps reduce false positive exams by allowing radiologists to look through the layers of tissue. Overlapping areas of dense breast tissue on 2D mammograms appear similar to cancers and 3D tomo helps determine if suspect areas are cancer or not. About 50% of women have dense breast tissue, which appears white on mammograms, the same as cancers, making diagnosis difficult. Radiologists use the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) scoring system to define the density of breast tissue. Many states now require patients to be notified if they have dense breasts so they understand their mammograms might be suboptimal and they should use supplemental imaging that can see through the dense areas. This includes tomosythesis, breast ultrasound, automated breast ultrasound (ABUS), breast MRI, contrast enhanced mammography and nuclear imaging, including positron emission mammography (PEM).

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New suspicious findings on breast MRI performed during therapy are unlikely to be cancer

University of California, San Francisco, researchers found unusual lesions in 5.5% of cases and none were malignant.

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Breast MRI in cancer survivors results in more unneeded biopsies

Adding MRI to mammography screening for breast cancer detects more cancers, but results in more unnecessary biopsies, according to a June 4 study published in Radiology.

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Short-interval follow-up MRI helps ID early stage breast cancer

The researchers analyzed the frequency and cancer yield of ACR Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) 3 lesions in patients who received baseline and non-baseline screening MRIs.

Fujifilm launches three new software tools for its Aspire Cristalle mammography system

New features will be on display this spring at the National Consortium of Breast Centers conference and the Society of Breast Imaging Symposium

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Breast MRI may help personalize treatment for DCIS patients

Pairing breast MRI with a test that characterizes breast cancer genes can lead to a more personalized treatment approach for patients with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), reported authors of a recent study published in JAMA Oncology.

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Society of Breast Imaging addresses importance of screening among minority populations

The Society of Breast Imaging (SBI) addressed the importance of diversity in breast imaging in a recent statement published online Jan. 9, stating that breast cancer does not affect all ethnic and socioeconomic populations equally.

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Insurer's price calculator severely underestimates breast MRI cost for Philadelphia woman

Although many insurance providers have invested in price calculators for patients to determine out-of-pocket costs, one Philadelphia woman discovered they may severely underestimate actual prices for services, according to a recent report by The Philadelphia Inquirer.

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SBI, Oxford University Press to publish new Journal of Breast Imaging

On Wednesday, Oct. 10, the Society of Breast Imaging (SBI) and Oxford University Press (OUP) announced a partnership to publish the Journal of Breast Imaging (JBI)—the first peer-reviewed journal dedicated to breast imaging.

Around the web

CMS has more than doubled the CCTA payment rate from $175 to $357.13. The move, expected to have a significant impact on the utilization of cardiac CT, received immediate praise from imaging specialists.

The newly cleared offering, AutoChamber, was designed with opportunistic screening in mind. It can evaluate many different kinds of CT images, including those originally gathered to screen patients for lung cancer. 

AI-enabled coronary plaque assessments deliver significant value, according to late-breaking data presented at TCT. These AI platforms have gained considerable momentum in recent months, receiving expanded Medicare coverage in addition to a new Category I CPT code.

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