University of Iowa Uses New Technology to Detect Early Breast Cancer Development

University of Iowa Press Release

Doctors at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics Breast Imaging Center of Excellence are using newtechnology called tomosynthesis to help with early detection of breast cancer.

For women undergoing a breast cancer screening, the value lies in what is more visible: with the newtechnology radiologists are better able to “see through” the layers of breast tissue. This means thatsmaller tumors are more easily detected and that normal breast tissues that sometime mimic abnormallesions can be correctly identified without the need to have the woman return for additional breastimaging.

Breast tomosynthesis gives doctors a three-dimensional view of the breast by converting digital breastimages into a stack of very thin layers. A mammogram using breast tomosynthesis works much the sameas a standard mammogram with the addition of a sweep by the X-ray arm in a slight arc over the breast,taking several pictures in just seconds.

From these images, a computer builds a three-dimensional image of the breast – one that allowsdoctors to “pull away” layers of the image to get a more complete view of all the breast tissue becausefiner details are more visible.

Doctors at the UI Breast Imaging Center of Excellence, both at the main location and the new Iowa RiverLanding site, use tomosynthesis in conjunction with a standard mammogram, using the same positioningand X-ray exposure to acquire both sets of data. With X-ray images taken only once – rather than oncefor each set – doctors are able to minimize the amount of radiation exposure for the patient. UI BreastImaging Radiologists were instrumental in developing and testing this technology and, thus, have severalyears’ experience interpreting digital breast tomosynthesis examinations.