New 3D technology increases breast cancer detection: study

The technology captures multiple images from various angles around the breast that are used to create a 3-D image of the breast. Traditional mammograms can miss tiny tumours, according the study by the Radiological Society of North America.

The 3-D mammography is especially helpful in women who have dense breasts because more things can be hidden, said Nancy Babich, director of diagnostic imaging for the regional Porter Health Care System.

Breast tomosynthesis is an innovative new, FDA-approved digital technology that helps physicians detect smaller tumours sooner -- at the earliest stages of breast cancer, the study said.

As many as 30 per cent of breast cancer cases are not detected by standard mammography. And 8 to 10 per cent of women receive false positive results, meaning they require further testing, which later shows no cancer is present, according to the National Cancer Institute.