Mammography Plus Ultrasound Superior to Mammography With AI for Dense Breasts

TUESDAY, Aug. 1, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Mammography with supplementary ultrasound has higher accuracy and a lower recall rate than mammography with artificial intelligence (AI) or mammography with ultrasound and AI, according to a study published online July 26 in the American Journal of Roentgenology.

Si Eun Lee, M.D., Ph.D., from the Yonsei University College of Medicine in Yongin, South Korea, and colleagues compared the performance characteristics of screening mammography alone, standalone AI, ultrasound alone, and mammography combined with AI and/or ultrasound in 1,325 women with dense breasts who underwent screening mammography and supplementary breast ultrasound within a one-month interval.

The researchers found that 12 cancers were diagnosed (six invasive ductal carcinoma and six ductal carcinoma in situ). Per 1,000 patients, the cancer detection rate was 6.0, 6.8, and 6.0 for mammography, standalone AI, and ultrasound, respectively, with corresponding recall rates of 4.4, 11.9, and 9.2 percent; sensitivity of 96.2, 88.7, and 91.3 percent; specificity of 96.2, 88.7, and 91.3 percent; and accuracy of 95.9, 88.5, and 91.1 percent. Cancer detection rates were 7.5, 9.1, and 9.1 for mammography with AI, mammography with ultrasound, and mammography with both AI and ultrasound, respectively, with corresponding recall rates of 14.9, 11.7, and 21.4 percent, and sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 83.3, 100.0, and 100.0 percent; 85.8, 89.1, and 79.4 percent; and 85.7, 89.2, and 79.5 percent, respectively.

“The findings fail to show a benefit of AI when performed in addition to supplementary ultrasound in patients with dense breasts undergoing screening mammography,” the authors write.

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