Russo M.D. and Associates Radiology

Norwegian researchers found in a recent study that digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) with conventional digital mammography “detects 40% more invasive caners and decreases false-positive rates by 15%”. Dr. Per Skaane, PhD. of the University of Ohio and colleagues took data from the Oslo Breast Cancer Screening Trial, which was conducted at the Norwegian Breast Cancer Screening Program. They performed an analysis from 12,631 exams from November 2010 to December 2011,which included subjects that only had mammography and then subjects that had the mammogram plus the tomosynthesis. Dr. Skaane said the difference between his experiment than others was that, “In this large-scale prospective study, we investigated the potential benefits and limitations of tomosynthesis, if any, in a population-based mammographic screening program”. Other tomosynthesis studies have only been in experimental settings and have focused only on the potential benefit that it reduces the false-positive results.

Dr. Skaane and his colleagues concluded that:

* 25 additional invasive cancers were found with mammography plus DBT— a 40% increase

* False-positive rates with just mammography were 61.1 per 1,000 exams and mammography with DBT was 53.1 per 1,000—a 15% decrease

* Detection rates, including invasive cancers, were 6.1 per 1,000 exams for mammography alone and 8 per 1,000 for mammography plus DBT— a 27% increase    

When Dr. Skaane was asked if DBT is over diagnosing, meaning that these smaller cancers that are being found are the ones that may never harm the patient if not treated he responded: “We believe that many of the additional abnormal findings detected with mammography plus tomosynthesis in our study are the very types of cancers one would hope to detect early and treat”. 

Robert D. Russo, M.D. and Associates Radiology offers Digital Breast Tomosynthesis at our

Fairfield Office.

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View this informative brochure on breast density. It is filled with lots of information that could answer any questions you may have.

Click here to view the Breast Denisty Information Brochure.

Don't forget to make your annual appointment today at one of our four locations that offer mammography screeings.

Come join us for an enjoyable golf outing at the Russo Family Foundation 12^th Annual Golf Tournament. Tee off will be held on Monday, September 17^th, 2012 at the Connecticut Golf Club.

The Russo Family Foundation is a non-profit organization established by the Russo Family to carry on the work of Robert D. Russo, Sr. M.D. and his wife Wanda.  The Foundation's resources assist colleges, universities, and other schools by providing expanding educational opportunities and programs. The Foundation also supports a comprehensive breast health program providing outreach, education, screening and our diagnostic breast imaging services to the uninsured and medically unassisted population.

For more information about the Golf Tournament please contact Carolyn Scifo, 203-683-4623 or email at cscifo@russomd.com

Our new Breast Tomosynthesis unit in Fairfield is now available. This is an additional screening tool used in conjunction with mammography in the fight against breast cancer. It doesn't even add additional time to the exam. The x-ray arm of the machine follows an arc shape path over the breasts while taking multiple images. Then the machine converts those digital breast images into a stack of very thin slices that creates a 3D image that the radiologist can look at in one millimeter layers.

It has been proven that this new tool can find very small cancers and even rule out "false positives". Less women than before are being called back for a diagnostic mammogram. This tool is more superior to a normal digital mammogram because it allows the radiologist to view one breat tissue layer at a time, allowing the radiologist to get a closer look than ever before.

Our Fairfield Office has been awarded a three year term of accreditation in breast ultrasound as the result of a recent review by the American College of Radiology (ACR). This is a great achievement for our Fairfield Office and practice as a whole. The ACR is a national professional organization serving more than 34,000 diagnostic/interventional radiologists, radiation oncologists, nuclear medicine physicians, and medical physicists with programs focusing on the practice of medical imaging and radiation oncology and the delivery of comprehensive health care services. Please stayed tuned for the official press release.