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Breast screening with 3-D may find more cancer than usual scans; long-term benefits uncertain

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This undated combination provided by Hologic shows three images, an image taken using conventional mammography, top left, an image using 3D mammography, top right, with a tumor circled that wasn’t visible on the first image, and a close up image of the region of interest on the 3D mammography. A large study that was published Tuesday, June 24, 2014, in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that adding breast screening with 3D imaging to conventional digital mammograms is slightly better at finding cancer than regular scans alone, with fewer false alarms. (AP Photo/Courtesy Hologic)

CHICAGO – A new study says 3-D mammograms may be better at finding cancer than regular scans, but whether that means saving more lives isn’t known.

The study involved almost half a million breast scans. More than one-third used relatively new 3-D imaging along with conventional scans. The rest used regular mammograms alone.

The 3-D combo detected one additional cancer per 1,000 scans, compared with conventional mammograms. There were also 15 per cent fewer false alarms.

But the study wasn’t designed to determine whether the combined 3-D scans resulted in better long-term outcomes.

Still, the researchers say their results are promising.

The study was published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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