New CT scan could do away with mammogram pain

A new breast scan using a CT scan may be more accurate and comfortable than a standard mammogram. The new scan produces three-dimensional pictures with more range, compared to the two dimensional pictures produced by mammograms. The scanner is called Cone Beam Breast Computed Tomography. Cases have shown the CT scan to detect some cancers that mammography misses, while no cases have shown the opposite. The radiation dosage is about the same as with a mammogram, so no extra risk is added. The main problem is that the scans are about five times as expensive. This is unappealing to insurance agencies. This is a pretty cool new machine and is the kind of project that real biomedical engineers work on. It may lead to earlier and more accurate detection. Again, the problem will be the unwillingness of insurance companies to pay for this scan.

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