A trial comparing standard mammograms with a new type of digital mammogram to screen for breast cancer (TOMMY Trial)

Breast screening is recognised to be the best way to find early stage breast cancer, and to reduce the number of deaths from this disease. Doctors use breast X-rays (mammograms) to screen for breast cancer. Current mammograms give 2D pictures of the breast.

But sometimes, it is possible that breast changes may be missed on these mammograms because they are hidden by overlapping normal breast tissue. And, in other cases, healthy tissue that overlaps may look like changes that are a cause for concern. This means women have to come back for further checks, causing unnecessary anxiety.

This trial looked at a method called digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT), which uses digital X-rays and a computer to put together 3D pictures of the breast. We know from early research that tomosynthesis reduces the problem of overlapping tissues. This helps the doctor to see the structures of the breast more clearly. The aim of this trial was to compare the accuracy of tomosynthesis and standard mammograms when diagnosing breast changes found during screening.