Detection Rates Are Similar for Digital and Film Mammography

Although 70% of mammography machines in the U.S. are digital, only limited data exist on the diagnostic accuracy of digital mammography versus that of film-screen mammography. Using data from community-based practices, researchers evaluated the diagnostic performance of the two modalities in nearly 330,000 women (age range, 40–79).

No clinically meaningful differences were observed in overall cancer detection per 1000 examinations, sensitivity, or specificity. However, in subgroup analyses, the sensitivity of digital mammography was higher in older women (age, 60–69) and in women with estrogen receptor–negative tumors (90% vs. 83% and 79% vs. 66%, respectively). In addition, a trend was noted toward higher sensitivity of digital mammography …