Contact:
Michael J. Bernstein
(703) 648-8910
[email protected]

For Release:
April 18,1998

Computers Help Radiologists Find Breast Cancers

Computers can help mammographers make a more accurate breast cancer diagnosis, according to an international study. The study was presented April 18 at the American College of Radiology's 28th National Conference on Breast Cancer, held in Washington, DC.

According to the study, computer-enhanced mammograms showed details not easily seen on the original mammograms.

The study was conducted by the Department of Radiology, Hadassah-Hebrew University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel, the Jerusalem College of Technology, Wolfson Medical Center, Holon, Israel and Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY.

Study co-author Dr. Shalom Buchbinder, Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center, said that not only can computers improve the detail on the mammogram, but they can give a statistical analysis of calcifications found on the films. This analysis can show significant differences between malignant and benign calcifications. "The more uniform the calcifications are the more likely they are to be benign," Dr. Buchbinder explains.

Dr. Buchbinder said "computers can detect differences the eye cannot see."

With this technique radiologists can make a more informed decision on whether a biopsy is needed. This may reduce the number of unnecessary biopsies, saving money and discomfort for patients who have benign calcifications, according to Dr. Buchbinder. Basically, the computer helps the radiologist better visualize images of the breast and this tool can also help the physician make an even more accurate interpretation of the findings.

"The currently used magnifying glass is a stone-age technology," Dr. Buchbinder observed. "The visual enhancement and statistical analysis we can get from computers brings us into the 21st century."

The American College of Radiology is a major medical association with more 38,000 members worldwide. The membership includes diagnostic radiologists, radiation oncologists and medical physicists.

##

MEDIA CONTACT
Register for reporter access to contact details