The latest in breast cancer detection

There is more hope for better diagnosing breast cancer thanks to new technologies. Advances in screening technologies, including digital mammograms, combined with a better understanding of who is at highest risk means doctors are able to find cancers earlier and prevent more women from dying.

“The fact that you cannot argue with is that breast cancer mortality has declined by 24% in the past 10 years, and a lot of that is due to early detection”, says Dr Carol Lee, chairwoman of the Commission on Breast Imaging for the American College of Radiology.

However, it's not just screening advances helping to save lives. Experts say what also matters is learning more about the disease itself and who is at greatest risk.

“We are broadening our scope of the factors leading to the development of breast cancer, so we can now determine with far more accuracy not only who is at risk of this disease, but who is best served by various screening techniques, including the newest advances”, says Dr Julia A. Smith, director of Breast Cancer Screening at the NYU Cancer Institute in the US.

Risk and screening: the new links

Experts say that most women are familiar with at least some of the common risk factors for breast cancer: a first-degree relative who has the disease, for example, or excessive use of alcohol.

However, now new research is shedding light on many more individual factors, and in doing so is driving both screening and treatment towards a more individualised approach.

“I think one of the biggest advances we are seeing now is this move towards individualised care, particularly when it comes to screening. We are getting better at determining which options are right for which women, and that's a huge step forwards”, says Dr Therese B. Bevers, director of the Cancer Prevention Center at the University of Texas in the US.

Getting screened

Of course proper screening is crucial in detecting breast cancer. Though mammogram remains the most recommended choice, there are a number of newer options available.

When it comes to advances in screening technology itself, some experts say digital mammography is at the top of the list.

In much the way digital cameras changed the face of our family photo album, doctors say that digital mammography has the potential to reshape the face of breast imaging.

“The experience for the woman - and the machine itself - are largely the same, but what the digital does is allow contrast manipulations and other types of computerised enhancements to give us a better, clearer picture of what is going on in the breast”, Lee says.

Experts like Dr Etta Pisano, who directed the largest clinical trial to date on digital mammography, says this clearer picture will help doctors discover many more cancers at an earlier, more easily treated stage.