New 3-D Technology Could Make Mammograms More Effective

As Breast Cancer Awareness Month kicks off in October, the benefits of mammography screenings are very much under debate.

A new Swedish study published in the journal Cancer finds mammograms reduced deaths in breast cancer patients in their forties, while another study in the New England Journal of Medicine questioned the effectiveness of screenings for women over 50.

Could better mammography technology help resolve the controversy?

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is now weighing approval of a new 3-D mammogram system developed by Hologic. Its developers say three-dimensional technology readings improve on the limitations of current mammography testing.

"We reduce the need for recalls," says Hologic [HOLX  16.12    0.11  (+0.69%)   ] CEO Rob Cascella. Because conventional mammograms reproduce three-dimensional breast tissue in a 2-D image, they can obscure readings of small tumors.

"We believe that we can find more cancers," Cascella said, "with images that show more levels of breast tissue."

In September, an FDA advisory panel gave its backing to Hologic's 3-D mammogram system, by voting unanimously that the benefits of the device outweighed its risk of greater exposure to radiation from the screening. The panel backing is seen as a critical step toward ultimate FDA approval, but not a guarantee.

"We are hopeful and optimistic that it will lead to an approval over the next few months," added Cascella, after ringing the opening bell at the Nasdaq Friday to mark the start of Breast Cancer Awareness month.

While he is hopeful about his company's new technology, Cascella says conventional mammograms remain an important weapon for patients and their doctors.

He believes the current debate over screenings is obscuring the very real benefit of early detection. He said: "We think it is a disservice to women and creates confusion."