3D mammogram has been found to be better than 2D scan for screening to detect breast cancer.

Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer among women and according to the American Cancer Society breast cancer has been classified into 3 stages: localized- cancer has not spread outside of the breast, regional- cancer has spread outside the breast to nearby structures and distant- cancer has spread to distant parts and other organs of the body. The 5 year survival rate for breast cancer if detected early in localized stage is 99%, when cancer is in regional stage it becomes 86% and becomes 30% in distant stage.

Right now the standard of care for screening is a 2D digital mammography that can detect 87% of breast cancers which means that 1 in 8 cases may not get detected. Digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) also known as 3D mammogram is a newer screening technology which captures x-ray images from multiple angles that will show 3D images of breast tissue. Researches have shown that DBT has caused 21% increase in cancer detection compared to mammography. This has shown good results particularly for younger women and ones with dense cancer.

Dr Jennifer Chen, lead breast imager at City of Hope Orange County Lennar Foundation Cancer Center in Irvine, California, not involved in the study stated “DBT generates three-dimensional images of the breast, allowing physicians to see the breast from more angles and in greater detail. 3D imaging is especially recommended for women with dense breasts because traditional two-dimensional often cannot produce a clear image when high-density tissue is present.” Dr Chen when asked about its limitations stated “a limitation of the study is that it is retrospective and observational. The researchers used data from women screened with 2D during an earlier period and compared it to those screened with 3D more recently, which means there is not an absolute comparison of the same cohort.” She also stated that 2D was lacking in important patient characteristics and there could have been selection bias and characteristics of detected cancers were not evaluated and long-term outcomes for 3D patients were not studied hence further research is important on the long-term benefits of 3D.