Dear AuntMinnie Member,
A new study has found that digital mammography systems with larger detectors might be the best choice for high-volume mobile screening programs. The researchers found that larger detectors have a range of advantages, such as giving technologists more flexibility in positioning patients, according to an article we’re featuring this week in our Women’s Imaging Digital Community by staff editor Erik L. Ridley.
While full-field digital mammography is still a relatively new concept for mobile mammography, a number of imaging facilities with mobile screening programs are evaluating the technology, according to the researchers, from the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
Dr. Gary Whitman and colleagues examined a representative patient population in their metropolitan area. They found that while 95% of patients could be imaged with an FFDM unit that has a smaller 19 x 27-cm receptor, a larger 21 x 29-cm system would also be appropriate for the same population.
The group recommended that facilities considering an FFDM purchase assess the average breast sizes of their target patient population as one of the technical factors affecting the type of system they buy. Get the rest of the story in our Women’s Imaging Digital Community, at womens.auntminnie.com.
