Why 3D mammograms may be better for some women

A 3D mammogram could be more effective for women with dense breasts than a regular mammography test. That’s because a three-dimensional scan is easier to detect abnormalities in dense tissue. This according to breast cancer researcher Karla Kerlikowske of University of California, San Francisco. But the technology has not been widely used yet. While the FDA approved the devises 5 years ago, only 30 percent of clinics across the country purchased them. Kerlikowske says more studies are needed to prove how reliable 3D scanners are. “The technology often, in particular for devices - not for drugs, for drugs there is always randomized trials - they don’t say you can use this drug for such and such until the FDA approves it. But when it comes to devices, they often get released before there is evidence to show that they are really better than what exists.” But Kerlikowske hopes she will soon have the data. “That’s actually grants we are working on now to try and figure that out who benefits the most from that technology".