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Michael J. Bernstein
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For Release: April 29,1998
Computers Can Reduce Number of Breast Biopsies, Study Finds
With the use of computers, radiologists can make more accurate diagnoses of breast cancer and reduce the number of biopsies, a new North Carolina study has found.
The study, conducted by the Duke University Medical Center, was presented April 29 at the 98th Annual Meeting of the American Roentgen Ray Society held in San Francisco.
Although radiologists find most breast cancers, they also find many benign masses as well and this leads to numerous unnecessary biopsies, according to study lead author Dr. Jay Baker, a radiologist with the medical center. "From 70 to 90 percent of biopsies prove to be benign," he said.
In the study, a total of 295 cases were reviewed after being selected for biopsy based only on the experience of a radiologist. Of these, 185 showed the tumors were benign and, therefore, might have been avoided if a more definitive preoperative diagnosis had been available, Dr. Baker said.
The researchers used a computer program called an artificial neural network to help radiologists decide whether to do a biopsy in the 295 cases. If radiologists had followed the computers' advice, 79 of the 185 biopsies which proved to have benign findings could have been avoided. The computers, Dr. Baker added, would have missed 1-2 cancers out of a total of 110 found by biopsy, but since the cancers were so small, they likely would have been picked up in a follow-up mammogram.
One of the advantages of this method of diagnosis, Dr. Baker explained, is that the computer can be "trained" to improve its diagnosis. This is done by running cases through the machine over and over so the computer will teach itself to know which combination of findings is important to look for on mammograms.
Because the computer-assisted method of reading mammograms has not yet been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, radiologists cannot use the method as a diagnostic tool at this point. In the meantime, Dr. Baker said the team is continuing to work on expanding the computer network to include a component that considers ultrasound findings when making a diagnosis.
The American Roentgen Ray Society, with more than 12,000 members in radiology and related fields, is the United State's first radiological society. The society is dedicated to the advancement of medicine through the science of radiology.
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