Dear AuntMinnie Member,
It's Breast Cancer Awareness Month! While the general public becomes educated once more about the power of regular screening, we’re keeping up with the latest in imaging research and practice management, exploring the latest approaches in breast care for better patient outcomes.
Work continues on more accurate risk prediction for breast cancer. A team in Turkey reported success from the Kaiser score, which outperformed MRI BI-RADS in a study of nearly 100 women. The researchers determined that the Kaiser score is a “highly effective” tool that can differentiate benign from malignant breast lesions in women with BI-RADS 0 or 4 findings on conventional imaging. Read what the team found in this issue’s featured article.
U.S.-based organizations meanwhile are working to advance breast cancer research and tackle misinformation surrounding the disease. The Initiative Advancing Women’s Health (InAWH) and the Washington Research Foundation are co-funding research with the goal of creating a clear next step for women with breast arterial calcification (BAC) to have their heart health evaluated in a timely manner. And the Society of Breast Imaging (SBI) throughout October is campaigning to counter common misconceptions about breast cancer screening and reinforce its recommendation of annual screening mammography starting at age 40 for women at average risk.
Research continues to evaluate the clinical utility of emerging breast imaging techniques. A group from the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center published findings showing how contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM)-guided biopsy can sample suspicious breast findings. Other recent studies reveal that nearly half of false-negative screening digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) exams may be missed cancers, and how the COVID-19 pandemic may have led to faster adoption of shorter-course radiation therapy for early-stage breast cancer.
More studies are coming out about ties between breast cancer screening access and socioeconomic issues. One study out of the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that higher neighborhood deprivation is tied to lower screening mammography use, and findings by the American Cancer Society point to widening breast cancer survival gaps between women living in rural and urban areas.
The Women’s Imaging MinnieCast meanwhile continues to highlight the work and expertise of both rising and established breast imaging experts. One recent episode features the Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance, which embarked on a bus tour in late September to raise awareness for the aforementioned disease. Another episode focuses on breast cryoablation, with Meghana Konanur, MD, from Duke University highlighting the rise of this image-guided technique to treat breast lesions.
Check out the Women’s Imaging content area on AuntMinnie.com regularly for the latest news in research, practice, and policy. And feel free to drop us a line if you have news that may be of importance for our audience.
Amerigo Allegretto
Associate Editor
AuntMinnie.com
