Stereoscopic Digital Mammography: Improving Cancer Diagnosis
Abstract
The subject of study in this project was the potential benefit of using stereoscopic digital mammography as an adjunct to standard film mammography to improve the detection and diagnosis of breast cancer. We sought to determine whether stereo mammography might bring significant gains - either in earlier detection of worrisome lesions, or in more accurate discrimination of lesions as benign or malignant. Several main activities were required to accomplish this evaluation. We further developed and refined a system for capturing and viewing stereo mammograms, using state-of-the-art digital methods. Over the duration of the project, stereo mammograms and film studies were acquired on a large number of path-proven cases. Three experienced mammographers served as consultants, and an extensive effort was devoted to developing with them a comprehensive list of visual features to consider in reading the stereo mammograms. In a final reading study with 137 cases, we measured diagnostic accuracy obtained with standard film mammograms alone compared to that obtained with film combined with the stereo mammogram. We found that the stereo mammogram significantly improved diagnostic accuracy. A second, exciting finding was that new, additional lesions, mostly masses, were detected in the stereo mammogram but were not visible in the film study, in 30% of the cases.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 2000
- Accession Number
- ADA385848
Entities
People
- David J. Getty
Organizations
- BBN Technologies