In a study published in Radiology, researchers sought to analyze a variety of supplementary screening tests in women who had a breast cancer risk of either average or intermediate, had dense breast tissue, and have had a negative screening mammogram, with the goal of determining which screening type was most useful for patients with dense breasts. In this meta-analysis, researchers assessed 22 studies that had a total of 261,233 patients who underwent breast cancer screening. Screening modalities used in these studies included hand-held breast ultrasound (10), automated breast ultrasound (4), breast MRI (3), and digital breast tomosynthesis (8). A total of 132,166 patients had negative mammograms and dense breasts. Of these patients, 541 breast cancers were missed originally on mammograms, that were then detected with additional screening methods. The most effective method for screening, that was able to detect the smallest tumors, was found to be breast MRI. No considerable disparities were found between the other screening methods, excluding breast MRI.
Reference: Study Finds Breast MRI Superior vs Other Supplementary Screening Tests for Detecting Breast Cancer in Patients With Dense Breasts. The ASCO Post. Published February 1, 2023. Accessed February 9, 2023. https://ascopost.com/news/february-2023/study-finds-breast-mri-superior-vs-other-supplementary-screening-tests-for-detecting-breast-cancer-in-patients-with-dense-breasts
