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Study: New way to spot breast cancer shows promise
(AP) -- A radioactive tracer that "lights up" cancer hiding inside dense breasts showed promise in its first big test against mammograms, revealing more tumors and giving fewer false alarms, doctors reported Wednesday. The experimental method - molecular breast imaging, or MBI - would not replace mammograms for women at average risk of the disease.
Dense tissue promotes aggressive cancers
New research may explain why breast cancer tends to be more aggressive in women with denser breast tissue. Breast cancer cells grown in dense, rigid surroundings step up their invasive activities, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center investigators report in the Sept. 9 issue of Current
Biology.
2 different breast cancer screening strategies are equally effective
An organized population-based breast cancer screening program in Norway and an approach to screening that relies on physician- and self-referrals in Vermont are equally sensitive for detecting cancer, researchers report in the July 29 online issue of the
Journal of the National Cancer Institute. But the recall rate for abnormal mammograms was lower in Norway.
New breast cancer test under study
Whether a painless, portable device that uses electrical current rather than X-ray to look for breast cancer could be an alternative to traditional mammograms is under study at the Medical College of Georgia.
Over-the-counter anesthetic gel puts the squeeze on mammogram pain
The simple application of a pain-relieving gel may reduce the breast discomfort some women experience during mammography exams, according to the results of a clinical trial published in the online edition of
Radiology.
Obese women in Canada are less likely to be screened for cervical cancer
Research in the United States has shown that obese people are less likely than their normal-weight peers to undergo screening for breast, colon and cervical cancer. Raj Padwal, Rebecca Mitchell and Scott Klarenbach, from the University of Alberta's Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, have undertaken a study to see if this trend is also true in Canada.
Mammography facility characteristics associated with accuracy of screening
Some characteristics of mammography facilities are associated with the accuracy of interpretation of screening mammograms, according to a study published online June 10 in the
Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
6-month follow-up diagnostic mammograms recommended for women with probably benign lesions
Radiologists can, with confidence, recommend a six-month follow-up diagnostic mammogram rather than an immediate biopsy for patients with “probably benign” breast lesions, a new study emphasizes.