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Computer Aided Detection
Can Help Radiologists Find Breast Cancer

A recent study1 found that Computer Aided Detection (CAD) could help radiologists detect breast cancer earlier during routine screening mammography.  CAD acts as a "spell-checker" or a pair of non-human eyes for radiologists, directing their attention to specific areas on a mammogram that have characteristics often associated with a cancer.  CAD technology performs almost 4 billion calculations on each mammogram, using a computer that "learns" to read and recognize signs of cancer.  The more mammograms it reads, the smarter and more accurate the computer becomes.  The computer identifies and marks two types of abnormalities:

    1. micro calcifications – clusters of bright, white specks (triangle);

    2. spiculations – dense regions of radiating lines indicating a mass that may suggest the presence of a cancer (asterisk).

Once the computer marks these areas, the radiologist can focus on specific areas and further analyze spots that the computer has determined are suspicious.

Through its CloserLook service, iMammogram.com offers FDA-approved CAD technology, designed by R2 Technology, to all women and radiologists through the Internet and participating mammography facilities.  Studies indicate that CAD technology can help radiologists detect an additional 15 to 20 percent of breast cancers.  For more information about iMammogram.com's CloserLook analysis and Computer Aided Detection, visit www.iMammogram.com.

1. Linda J. Warren Burhenne, M.D., et al., "The Potential Contribution of Computer-Aided Detection to the Sensitivity of Screening Mammography," Radiology 215 (May 2000): 554-62.

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