3D Mammography is Advancing Cancer Screening and Treatment for Women, Infiniti Research Finds

New advances in mammography hold the promise of earlier detection, and more effective treatment of, one of the most dangerous threats to women’s health worldwide, a new report from market intelligence company Infiniti Research.

Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of death of women worldwide. In Canada, according to the Canadian Cancer Society, one in every nine women is expected to develop breast cancer in her lifetime, and one in thirty will die from it.

Though breast cancer rates were high relatively high in the 1990s, they decreased in the 2000s—and continue to remain much lower than they were in the 80s and 90s—thanks to the increased use of mammography.

Mammography can detect early breast cancer in women experiencing no symptoms and is an essential tool and lifesaving measure.

According to Infiniti Research, the global market for mammography devices and equipment will grow at a rate of more than 9% until 2020.

Infiniti Research has recently completed a market assessment on the mammography device market for a leading global manufacturer and supplier of diagnostic products, medical imaging systems, and surgical products.

Another Dimension in Detection and Care

Though 2D mammography has long been an effective and affordable industry standard, 3D mammography is becoming more popular.

While 2D mammography captures two static images of the breast, 3D mammography takes multiple images of the breast, allowing for a more comprehensive and accurate picture, and reducing the risk of missing abnormalities due to image overlap.

However, the benefits of 3D mammography over 2D have yet to be fully proven, and 3D mammography is more expensive for uninsured patients.

Another popular method involves combining 2D and 3D mammography, though this is currently very new.

Some studies have suggested that 3D mammography puts the patient at a higher risk for cancer from radiation, though this has not yet been confirmed.

Bottom line: the use of 3D and combination 2D-3D mammography is still relatively new and the risks associated with it are still largely unknown or unconfirmed.

Still, the future of cancer screening belongs to these advancing technologies, which promise greater accuracy.