AuntMinnieTV: Tomosynthesis targets breast cancer

Dear AuntMinnie Member,

One of the most intriguing areas of current mammography research is breast tomosynthesis. Under development by several mammography vendors, breast tomosynthesis involves the use of a specialized mammography system that has a tube head that rotates in an arc over the breast, rather than remaining stationary.

The rotating tube head enables the tomosynthesis system to capture digital breast images in multiple slices from different angles, rather than just from a limited number of views as is done with current mammography systems. This has the potential to enable mammographers to see breast pathology that otherwise might have been obscured by tissue.

At last week's RSNA meeting in Chicago, Dr. Steven Poplack from Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH, presented research on the use of an investigational breast tomosynthesis system for diagnostic mammography applications.

In this AuntMinnieTV segment, Dr. Poplack discusses the utility of the system in comparison to conventional mammography, in particular its ability to reveal more information about suspicious areas in the breast and potentially reduce the number of women who are recalled for additional exams. You can view the segment by clicking here.

Stay tuned in coming weeks for more AuntMinnieTV segments from medical imaging's showcase conference. To view additional coverage of the meeting, just visit our RADCast@RSNA special section at radcast.auntminnie.com.