Dear AuntMinnie Member,
We never want to sound like a broken record, but we'll say it again: Mammography saves lives.
The latest evidence comes from a study published November 8 in Cancer by a group of researchers that included noted breast imaging expert Dr. László Tabár. The research tackled head-on a major question about breast cancer: Is the recent drop in breast cancer mortality due to screening or to better therapies?
Tabár's group found that women who started mammography screening early and continued on a regular basis -- but who were later diagnosed with breast cancer -- had mortality rates that were 60% lower than women who did not get screened, when calculated 10 years after diagnosis. After 21 years of follow-up, the mortality reduction was still high, at 47%.
It's unfortunate that opinions are so entrenched in the breast screening debate that the new study's numbers are unlikely to change many minds. But it is another affirmation that breast screening is a lifesaving exam that deserves to be protected and promoted. Read more by clicking here.
In other news in women's imaging this past week, another study found that mammography facilities that serve women from disadvantaged backgrounds have longer follow-up periods for biopsies of suspicious lesions -- and this could be putting these women at risk. Learn more by clicking here.
AI for Alzheimer's
Researchers from California have presented exciting results from a study in which they tested an artificial intelligence (AI) convolutional neural network algorithm that was able to predict whether a person was at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease by analyzing PET scans. The algorithm outperformed experienced nuclear medicine physicians, and it was able to predict Alzheimer's risk some six years before diagnosis. Read more by clicking here.
Also in our Artificial Intelligence Community, a new study has been published that questions whether AI algorithms that perform great on test datasets really do all that well in the real world. Click here for more, or visit our Artificial Intelligence Community at ai.auntminnie.com.
Good luck on the Core Exam
Finally, if you're a radiology resident who's taking the Core Exam next week, good luck! If you could use a few more test questions to practice on, be sure to visit our Board Review section, which features 50 board-style questions to help you hone your knowledge. Click here to get started.
