Screening Outcomes of Breast Tomosynthesis vs. Conventional Mammography

Initial reports suggest that, compared with screening digital mammography (DM) alone, mammography coupled with digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) increases cancer detection rates and lowers recall rates. Investigators at one academic U.S. center assessed whether these screening benefits would persist after the initial rollout of DBT. The shift from DM to DBT allowed them to compare screening performance during the first year, in which DM only was used (DM0), with 3 subsequent years in which DBT was used (DBT 1–3).

Among 44,468 screens in 23,958 women (mean age, 57) with no histories of or symptoms suggestive of breast cancer, recall rates were 104, 88, 90, and 92 per 1000 screens for DM0, DBT1, DBT2, and DBT3, respectively (P≤0.003 for all c…