What alternatives are there to mammography for the detection of breast cancer?
Despite its limitations, mammography is the only breast cancer screening method that is widely available. Although clinical breast examinations (CBE) were found to be as effective as mammography in one large study, the examinations in this case were conducted by specially trained doctors or nurses who took almost ten minutes for each patient. Unfortunately, this is not common practice. Digital mammography is a variant on mammography; it also relies on low levels of ionizing radiation (x-rays), but instead of the image being produced on film, it is converted into a digitalized computer display that is easier to manipulate and read. This form is much more expensive than conventional mammography and, thus far, has been restricted to younger women at high risk of breast cancer (BRCA-1 or -2 carriers) or women who may be having a recurrence. Other technological imaging techniques are helpful at a diagnostic level and may be used to supplement the initial mammogram, but none has been propose
