A KINDER, GENTLER IMAGE :

New Light on Breast Cancer : Laser light and thermal heat could help improve the accuracy of mammograms (Kelli A. Miller, August 05, 2002, Scientific American)

In a quiet exam room, Susan Conlan, 50, prepared for the mammogram that would help confirm whether her breast cancer had returned. [...]

Conlan is one of the first patients in the country to test a gentler, radiation-free breast-imaging method called CT (computed tomography) Laser Mammography (CTLM). CTLM, developed by Florida-based Imaging Diagnostic Systems, Inc., is one of several experimental technologies aimed at improving the accuracy of breast imaging, especially in distinguishing benign breast conditions from breast cancer. Like CTLM, another method, Computerized Thermal Imaging (CTI), also scans the tissue for the temperature differences that might indicate a growing tumor. Recent concerns over the sensitivity of standard x-ray mammography images and the competency of the human readers have underscored the need for better tests.

"Approximately 10 to 20 percent of the time, a mammogram is read negative when a breast cancer is present," says Susan Curry, a radiologist at the Women's Center for Radiology Orlando.

While Milne declined to quantify how much the laser-based technique might improve the detection of breast cancer, he did say that the "incidence of false positives is much lower than that of mammography." [...]

Millions of dollars are spent each year on breast biopsies, the majority of which reveal that nothing is wrong. Experts say more informative imaging could dramatically reduce the number of unnecessary procedures.

In a desperate attempt to get back in the good graces of the wife and the mother, let me just say unequivocally that this kind of research sounds excellent and deserves our full support. Improving our diagnostic capabilities is a very good thing. Posted by Orrin Judd at August 9, 2002 8:25 AM