Dr. Jessica Kobil and colleagues studied recent trends in the utilization of screening and diagnostic mammography, breast ultrasound, and breast MRI in the Medicare population between 2004 and 2009. The team also assessed what percentage of mammograms was performed on digital units.
Overall rates for screening mammography increased from 301 per 1,000 in 2004 to 322.5 per 1,000 in 2009, for an annual growth rate of 1.4%. Diagnostic mammography rates decreased from 96.5 per 1,000 in 2004 to 91.5 per 1,000 in 2009, for an annual change of -1.1%.
Breast ultrasound rates grew annually by 4.7%, from 34.3 per 1,000 in 2004 to 43.1 per 1,000 in 2009, while breast MRI rates had annual growth of 33.9% during the time period, from 0.9 per 1,000 in 2004 to 3.9 per 1,000 in 2009. Finally, Kobil's team discovered that in 2009, 69.9% of all screening mammograms and 72.1% of all diagnostic mammograms were digital.
