With digital mammography, the traditional X-ray film is replaced by solid-state detectors that convert X-rays into electrical signals. These signals produce images that can be reviewed on a computer screen or printed to special film.
Tangible benefits
Digital mammography has several benefits over film-based mammography that can make a difference to you.
Use of a full-field digital mammography system means:
- A digital image can be acquired in less than a minute. There is no film to process, so the images are available immediately.
- Digital images are easy to share. They can be sent to your doctor electronically - immediately after your exam.
- Digital images are perfect for CAD. Computer-assisted detection (CAD) can help doctors confirm or draw more attention to suspicious areas on a digital image.
Suggested benefits
According to the National Cancer Society*, the results of a 2005 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine suggest that while digital and film-based mammography have very similar accuracy, digital mammography may be an advantage for women in three categories – such as those:
- Under age 50 (no matter what level of breast tissue density they had)
- Of any age with very dense or extremely dense breasts
- Of any age, who are pre- or peri-menopausal (women who had a final menstrual period within 12 months of their mammograms)
* National Cancer Society, The Digital Mammographic Imaging Screening Trial (DMIST), published September 16th, 2005 in the New England Journal of Medicine
This information is intended to be used for educational purposes only. Philips Healthcare does not offer medical advice and nothing contained in the content is intended to constitute professional advice for medical diagnosis or treatment.