New Breast Cancer Tool Diagnostic Tool: Light And Sound

The first mammogram was invented all the way back in the 1950s, but this then-revolutionary breast cancer screening technique took a while longer to implement widely. For the better part of 40 years, mammography has been the go-to screening and diagnostic tool for identifying breast cancer, and a tool women across the world now have access to.

For many women, mammography has been life changing and in some cases, life saving. While mammography has been a driving force in the fight against breast cancer, this screening tool is not without flaws. In the past 25 years the mammography has evolved from x-ray imaging to digital images. There is now a new breast cancer diagnostic tool that shows promise as a safe alternative to mammography.

What are the benefits of a mammogram?

Having a mammogram can be an effective way to detect breast cancer in its earliest stages. When breast cancer is found in the beginning stages, treatment can begin quickly and this helps prevent the cancer from developing further and limit the possibility of the cancer spreading to other areas of the body. Studies suggest that routine mammograms can drastically decrease the number of deaths by breast cancer, especially in women over 50 years of age. Thanks in part to the mammogram, breast cancer death rates have been declining for years in the United States, for instance.

Screening recommendations

The National Cancer Institute recommends that all women over the age of 40 have a mammogram done at least once every year or two. If your doctor has determined that you are at risk for developing breast cancer due to previous cancers or a family history of breast cancer, you will likely need to have a mammogram performed more frequently and at an earlier age. Additionally, if you have breast implants, notify the technician performing your mammogram so that he or she is able to get the best view of breast tissue.

Problems with mammograms

While mammograms have long been the best option for the early detection and screening for breast cancer, they are not without problems. Mammograms may produce false negatives, meaning that the mammogram appears to be clear when in fact an abnormality is present. False negatives may occur when the breast tissue is dense or large amounts of fatty tissue are present. False negatives occur more often in younger woman because older women tend to have less dense breast tissue. False positives can also occur during mammograms. A false positive refers to the radiologist reporting an abnormality when the breast is actually healthy. Anytime an abnormality is reported following a mammogram, additional testing is required to be certain of the result.

False positives tend to occur more often in young women, women with a prior history of breast cancer or biopsy and those women taking hormone replacement therapy drugs. Mammograms can also lead to overdiagnosis and overtreatment. When a mammogram locates a certain type of cancer, it can be difficult for the doctors to tell if the cancer will need to be treated. This specific type of cancer is known as ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), and it refers to a situation in which abnormal cells are present in the lining of the milk ducts. When DCIS is present it is impossible to tell if it needs treating or not, so all cancers of this kind are diagnosed and treated, leading to over-diagnosis and overtreatment in some cases.
 
Additionally, mammograms can expose women to relatively high levels of radiation. although the benefits far outweigh the risks in almost all cases. While the amount of radiation exposed in one mammogram is small, some women may be worried that repeated exposure can be harmful and in some cases may cause cancer. Women should speak with their doctor prior to each mammogram if they have specific concerns, rather than deciding not to attend an invitation to have a mammogram without medical consultation first.

Now that researchers have developed a new diagnostic tool to detect breast cancer, this new technology offers promise as a safer breast cancer detection tool. Optical mammography with its use of light as well as sound to detect breast abnormalities, significantly decreases the risks associated with breast cancer screenings. Researchers hope that optical mammography will give women a safer, more comfortable, more accurate way to screen and detect breast cancer.