SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif., Aug. 4 (UPI) -- A study in a California mammography facility found a significant increase in breast cancers detected through digital mammography, U.S. researchers said.
At the San Luis Diagnostic Center, the number of cancers detected prior to the switch from film-screen to digital mammography averaged between 4.1-4.5 cancers per 1,000 women imaged. The study, published in the American Journal of Roentgenology, found that following the switch, the cancer detection rate increased to 7.9 cancers per 1,000 women imaged and has remained high.
"Surprisingly, 60 percent to 70 percent of screening facilities in the United States are still using film-screen mammography," Dr. Fred Vernacchia said in a statement.
"This is a disadvantage because digital mammography offers considerable advantages over film-screen mammography," Vernacchia said. "I would certainly encourage patients who are being screened to look for facilities that have digital technology because it is faster and has a higher cancer detection rate."
However, there is a need for more studies like ours to confirm our findings, Vernacchia said.
