New breast scan process could relieve women from the mammography agony!

News-Medical.Net- A new breast scan process promises to make the annual mammogram agony many women endure a thing of the past.

Researchers in the U.S. have found that by using a Cone Beam Computed Tomography scan, which is described as a souped-up X-ray, 3-D pictures can be produced which make it possible to tell distinguish between a benign lesion and a tumour.

Not only is the new scan a more comfortable experience than a mammogram, it is also more accurate and would make the painful procedure of compressing the breasts between glass plates obsolete.

The researchers at the

University of Rochester in New York say the scan can also provide pictures of tissue around the ribs and outer breast towards the armpit, where 50 percent of cancers are found.

The Cone Beam Breast Computed Tomography scanner takes 360-degree views of breast anatomy and in one case showed a cancer which was hard to detect on a mammogram.

According to Dr. Avice O'Connell, director of women's imaging at the university's Medical Centre, who led the study, trials of the system are still being carried out and complete results and will not be available until 60 women have undergone the imaging.

O'Connell says so far the Cone Beam scanner has detected every tumour seen on a mammogram.

Read more…

For free advice on cancer related issues visit Free Help Advice