The University of California, Davis Medical Center reported that it is currently testing a dedicated breast CT device.
The system was developed at the university and is the first dedicated breast CT system to reach clinical testing in a generation, UC Davis said. A prototype was tested in the 1970s, but abandoned as impractical, according to the university.
Researchers said the breast CT modality requires no breast compression. The patient lies face down on a padded table with a circular opening, through which she places one breast at a time for imaging. The screening takes about 17 seconds per breast, the university said.
UC Davis researchers believe the scanner will be able to detect tumors at half the average size of those found with mammography, and could be especially beneficial for young women and those with breast implants, whose breasts can be difficult to image clearly with mammography.
By AuntMinnie.com staff writers
May 11, 2005
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