Society of Breast Imaging (SBI) President John Lewin, MD, discusses the types of supplemental breast imaging used to aid cancer detection in women with dense breast tissue.

Here are the most popular stories on Health Imaging in August, based on our website analytics. 

Researchers suggested that the quantitative measures derived from synthetic MRI exams could be used to help guide treatment decisions for breast cancer patients.

The new research focused specifically on associations between background parenchymal enhancement—a known risk factor for breast cancer, visualized on surveillance MRI exams—and secondary breast cancers.

MRI-directed contrast enhanced mammography could serve as a useful stand-alone or complimentary tool for biopsy planning when suspicious lesions are detected. 

Nearly 20% of the women included in the study did not complete their follow-up imaging at all, and out of the 3,648 women who did adhere to additional imaging, 23.3% delayed their exams beyond the recommended 60-day period.

Experts arrived at this conclusion after comparing incidents of hematoma between patients who did and did not receive antithrombotic therapy prior to their procedure.

The authors of the new study noted that, even before the pandemic, consultant breast radiologists were among the most in-demand specialists. The loss of interest in it as a specialty due to COVID will inevitably pose further challenges for recruitment.