Breast Tomosynthesis

Mammographic screening has shown the ability to significantly reduce the mortality rate from breast cancer, but mammography does not detect all cancers. One of the major causes of decreased mammographic sensitivity is the structured noise that results from overlap of normal structures within the breast, which can obscure tumors, making them difficult to detect. Overlapping structures can also mimic abnormality and lead to false positive mammographic recalls. Tomosynthesis is a three-dimensional mammographic application that minimizes the impact of structured noise within the breast. Multiple low-dose projection images are taken on a mammographic platform and are then synthesized into a cross-sectional data set. Early clinical trials suggest that tomosynthesis has the potential to improve tumor visibility, more accurately identify tumor margins and decrease false positive mammographic callbacks that result from summation artifact.