How Can Complementary Diagnostic Tools Improve Breast Cancer Detection?

50% Women's breasts are dense. High breast density on a mammogram is known to obscure cancer, often described as seeking a polar bear in a snowstorm that can lead to false negative results–results where early cancer is not identified and breast cancer is therefore detected at a later stage. It is diagnosed with the later breast cancer, the lower chance of survival. 

Despite this, in their recommendations for using additional testing on women with dense breasts, clinical guidelines vary from state to state. In fact, for women with dense breasts, many states do not offer any additional resources.

BI-RADS 3 vs. BI-RADS 4A or the "Gray Zone": A challenge facing health care providers is whether women with unclear findings need a biopsy to detect breastcancer. Approximately 1.7 million breast biopsies are performed annually with 70 to 90 percent resulting in a false positive result due to benign breast tissue that can mimic the appearance of breast cancer, creating a stressful situation for patients that otherwise could be avoided.

To enhance the accuracy of early detection of breast cancer, complementary blood-based approaches are being developed to help address current image limitations. By using new methods to complement current methods of detection, health care providers will be able to improve the accuracy and timeliness of detection of breast cancer and help reduce the consequences of false positive and negative outcomes. Earlier detection is directly correlated with increased survival, with early stage breast cancer diagnosis resulting in a 5-year survival rate of 99 percent.