Technology assessment No. 9: Digital breast tomosynthesis.

Abstract

Mammography has been the primary screening test for early breast cancer for more than five decades, but conventional mammography imaging continues to have limitations in sensitivity and specificity. Digital mammography detects some cases of cancer that are not identified by film mammography, but overall detection is similar for many women. Digital breast tomosynthesis offers the potential to overcome one of the primary limitations of mammography, which is the inability to image overlapping dense normal breast tissue. Clinical data suggest that digital mammography with tomosynthesis produces a better image, improved accuracy, and lower recall rates compared with digital mammography alone. Further study will be necessary to confirm whether digital mammography with tomosynthesis is a cost-effective approach, capable of replacing digital mammography alone as the first-line screening modality of choice for breast cancer screening.