Media Reports & Press Releases

After Menopause, Weight Affects Breast Cancer Rates More than Mammography Use

(posted December 5, 2008) -- Results published by the BCSC show that post menopausal women who are overweight have an increased risk of breast cancer that is not explained by the frequency or accuracy of their previous mammograms.

Breast Density in Mammography and Cancer Risk

(posted November 10, 2008) -- BCSC investigators discuss recent findings, hypotheses, and clinical considerations surrounding the role of breast density in breast cancer risk.

Researchers Validate New Model for Breast Cancer Risk Assessment in Multiple Ethnic Groups

(posted March 5, 2008) -- Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco have developed a way to quickly estimate a woman's risk for invasive breast cancer. The new model, based on a measure of breast density that is already reported with the majority of mammograms today, is the first to be validated across multiple ethnic groups living in the United States.

Radiologist Characteristics Associated with Interpretive Performance of Diagnostic Mammography

• Read coverage in the Chicago Tribune

(posted December 12, 2007) -- Radiologists' interpretation of diagnostic mammograms varies widely and could not be explained by differences in patient populations, according to a study published online December 11 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. This variation could affect clinical decisions in large numbers of women.

Declines in Invasive Breast Cancer and Use of Postmenopausal Hormone Therapy in a Screening Mammography Population

• Read the Cancer Bulletin Article

(posted August 22, 2007) -- Between 2002 and 2003, the incidence of breast cancer declined nearly 7 percent in the United States and remained low through 2004. This sharp decrease was reported in December 2006, and since then researchers have been trying to explain the good news. BCSC investigators examined screening rates and hormone use in more than 600,000 women from 1997 through 2003. Researchers found the decline in mammography rates is unlikely to explain the recent decline in U.S. breast cancers while a drop in hormone use is a more likely contributor.

Computer-aided Detection Reduces the Accuracy of Mammograms

• Listen to coverage of this story on NPR
• Read the Cancer Bulletin Article

(posted April 5, 2007) -- Computer-aided detection (CAD) that uses software designed to improve how radiologists interpret mammograms may instead make readings less accurate, according to new research. Use of CAD did not clearly improve the detection of breast cancer. The research was conducted by investigators at the University of California Davis Health System, Sacramento, Calif., and colleagues in the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium, which is sponsored by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health.

Improving Mammography Quality, Expanding Screening Research

(posted March 22, 2007) -- A new study using BCSC data published in the March 7 Journal of the National Cancer Institute discusses an important piece of information on the use of breast density in calculating risk: that two or more measurements of density over time may be better at predicting risk than a single measurement.

BCSC AIM Project Highlighted in Society of Breast Imaging Newsletter (PDF)

(posted January 19, 2007) -- The National Cancer Institute's (NCI's) Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium (BCSC) was recently awarded $2.5 million from the Breast Cancer Stamp Fund and the American Cancer Society to help support new research on how to improve mammographic interpretation. The title of the project is "Assessing and Improving Mammography (AIM)". The funding provided by the American Cancer Society is provided through a generous donation from the Longaberger® Company's Horizon of Hope Campaign®. This is a novel collaboration among public and private agencies that builds on the BCSC's history of collaborative research.

Breast Density Helps Predict Breast Cancer Risk

(posted September 6, 2006) -- Two new models for assessing patients' risk of developing breast cancer focus on breast density as an important predictor, two studies report in the September 6 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. (Also see the National Cancer Institute Fact Sheet "Estimating Breast Cancer Risk: Questions and Answers".)

Mammography Screenings for Breast Cancer Show Racial and Ethnic Disparities

(posted April 17, 2006) -- Researchers at the University of California San Francisco site have found that inadequate use of screening mammography may be an important reason that African-American women are more likely to be diagnosed with advanced stage breast cancer than members of other ethnic groups.

Medical Malpractice Concerns Lead to More Breast Biopsies

(posted June 28, 2005) -- Some women may be undergoing unnecessary diagnostic imaging and breast biopsies because radiologists are worried about medical malpractice suits, according to a study in the July issue of Radiology.

Older Doctors Specializing in High Volume Screening Mammography Deliver More Accurate Results

(posted March 1, 2005) -- Physicians who specialize in screening mammography and who have at least 25 years of experience are more accurate at interpreting the images and subject fewer women to the anxiety of false positives for cancer, when compared to physicians with less experience or those who don't have the same focus, according to a new study.

Breast Implants Interfere with Mammograms (PDF)

(posted January 27, 2004) -- Breast implants decrease the ability of mammography to detect breast cancer, according to a large national study led by researchers from Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium. This study is published in the January 28 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.