Mammography

Abstract

Statistics show that about one in eight women will develop invasive breast cancer in her lifetime in the United States. While there has been a decline in the mortality rate from breast cancer in recent years, it is still the second leading cause of cancer death in women according to the American Cancer Society (Siegel et al. 2014). The bright side is that breast cancer is one of the most treatable malignancies when detected early. If a patient’s breast cancer is discovered and diagnosed in its early stages when tumors are small and local, the chance for successful treatment is close to 100%. Therefore, early detection of abnormal breast lesions is crucial for patient’s long-term survival and thus reducing mortality (Swedish Organized Service Screening Evaluation, G 2006; Tabar et al. 2003; Tabar et al. 2011). Most cancer experts agree that among a variety of breast screening technologies, mammography is currently the most effective image modality for the early detection of breast cancer for its high sensitivity, excellent benefit to risk ratio, low cost, and low radiation exposure (Nyström et al. 2002; Tabar et al. 2003). Regular mammograms are recommended as a preventive measure for at-risk women and any woman aged over 40 in the states.