Newspapers Examine Developments In Breast Cancer Detection, Surgery

Main Category: Breast Cancer
Article Date: 03 Jul 2008 - 9:00 PDT

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Two newspapers on Tuesday published articles related to breast cancer detection and surgery. Summaries appear below.

~ AP/Washington Post: The AP/Post examined two experimental technologies that aim to improve breast cancer detection among women with dense breasts. Although experimental, the research is being closely watched because half of women younger than 50 and a third of women over 50 are estimated to have dense breasts. Tumors are harder to detect in women with dense breasts and these women also have a higher risk of getting breast cancer. BBN Technologies is developing a "stereo mammogram," in which radiologists wear special glasses that give them a 3-D view of mammogram images taken from X-rays. Mary Newell, assistant breast-imaging chief at Emory University, said that a soon-to-be released study found stereo mammograms increase breast cancer detection by 23% among women who have an increased risk of breast cancer. The Mayo Clinic is examining "molecular breast imaging," or MBIs, in which patients are injected with a radioactive tracer. According to the AP/Post, the tracer usually briefly collects in breast tumors and "light[s] up for viewing" when a physician switches on a small gamma camera. In research conducted by Mayo Clinic researchers, MBIs were found to detect as many cancers as MRIs, which are often used on women with dense breasts. MBI exams can be done in the same visit as a mammogram, while MRIs require patients to spend an hour inside a magnetic imaging machine. Mayo Clinic officials have recently completed a study of 2,000 women comparing the MBI technique with traditional mammograms (Neergaard, AP/Washington Post, 6/30).

~ Wall Street Journal: An increasing number of cancer surgeons are receiving training in cosmetic techniques to help "preserve or restore a breast's shape or appearance" after breast cancer surgery, the Journal reports. Surgery to remove cancerous tissue from the breast "can often leave the breast with a disfiguring dent" or make the breast appear smaller, according to the Journal. Women who have undergone cancer surgery often would visit a cosmetic surgeon to repair the breast, but combining the procedures can reduce the number of operations and reduce the risk of complications from undergoing multiple surgeries, the Journal reports (Rundle, Wall Street Journal, 7/1).

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