Digital Mammography for Breast Cancer Detection

For Release: April 9, 2000

Digital Mammography Has Potential Of Improving Breast Cancer Detection

Digital mammography has the potential to improve breast cancer detection, provide immediate access to second opinions, and improve service to under-served areas, a national breast cancer expert predicts.

Dr. Carl D'Orsi of Worcester, MA made these observations at the American College of Radiology's (ACR) 29th National Conference on Breast Cancer April 9 in San Francisco. Dr. D'Orsi is a professor of radiology at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Worchester.

The Food and Drug Administration this year approved the use of digital mammography in the United States.

While digital mammography is promising, it still has many hurdles to undergo, including speed of image transmission, workstation design, image display, data networks and the need for sophisticated computer software Dr. D'Orsi says.

Digital mammography also offers several other advantages he says. There are no films to file or hang. Radiologists can transmit images anyplace that there is a phone line. In addition, radiologists can get an immediate second opinion from any location. The potential for digital mammography promises to provide solutions for many of the problems associated with film mammography.

The American College of Radiology is a major medical association with more than 32,000 members worldwide. The membership includes diagnostic radiologists, radiation oncologists and medical physicists.

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