Hologic 3D Mammography Significantly Increases the Detection of Breast Cancer

BEDFORD, Mass., June 24, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Hologic, Inc. (NASDAQ:HOLX) today announced that a groundbreaking study published in the June 25, 2014 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), found that Hologic''s 3D Mammography (breast tomosynthesis) screening technology finds significantly more invasive cancers than a traditional mammogram. The researchers also found that 3D mammography reduces the number of women called back for unnecessary testing due to false alarms. That reduces anxiety, as well as health care costs.

The study, "Breast Cancer Screening Using Tomosynthesis in Combination with Digital Mammography," was led by Sarah M. Friedewald, MD of the Caldwell Breast Center, Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, Illinois.1 A total of 454,850 examinations (281,187 conventional mammograms compared to 173,663 3D mammography exams) were included in the study.

Significant findings include:

 A 41% increase in the detection of invasive breast cancers. (p<.001)

 A 29% increase in the detection of all breast cancers. (p<.001)

 A 15% decrease in women recalled for additional imaging. (p<.001)

 A 49% increase in Positive Predictive Value (PPV) for a recall. (p<.001) PPV for recall is a widely used measure of the proportion of women recalled from screening that are found to have breast cancer. The PPV for a recall increased from 4.3 to 6.4%.

 A 21% increase in PPV for biopsy. (p<.001) PPV for biopsy is a widely used measure of the proportion of women having a breast biopsy that are found to have breast cancer. The PPV for a breast biopsy increased from 24.2 to 29.2%.

 No significant change in the detection of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). DCIS is a non-invasive cancer. It has not spread beyond the milk duct into any normal surrounding breast tissue.

1 Friedewald SM, Rafferty EA, Rose SL, Durand MA, Plecha DM, Greenberg JS, Hayes MK, Copit DS, Carlson KL, Cink TM, Barke LD, Greer LN, Miller DP, Conant EF. Breast Cancer Screening Using Tomosynthesis in Combination with Digital Mammography. JAMA. June 25, 2014