Introduction to Tomosynthesis (DBT) - Why Learn about Tomosynthesis?
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So, uh, just to start here, I'm gonna go over
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a little bit of, uh, why to take this course,
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why, why it might be of interest to you.
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Um, uh, some background on tomosynthesis.
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We're gonna talk about image acquisition and,
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uh, and technique, um, and how that might
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be a little bit different from standard,
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um, 2D or full-field digital mammography.
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I'll talk a little about, um, reviewing screening
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and diagnostic performance of tomo and why it's
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become an increasingly, uh, popular, uh, modality
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or method for, uh, detecting breast cancers.
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And then, uh, finally review just a
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little bit on, um, CAD and CAD-AI, uh, and
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applications of those in, uh, tomosynthesis.
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So, um, as I mentioned, uh, DBT, I'm, I'm gonna
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refer to it as DBT probably throughout our course,
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uh, here, uh, just because it'll be easier.
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Uh, it's becoming increasingly common, uh, in breast
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imaging practices, particularly in the United States.
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Um, when I started fellowship, uh, in
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2014, um, tomosynthesis, at least in our
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practice, was just barely getting started.
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We maybe did 10 DBT exams a day out
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let's say 150 screeners.
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Uh, now our practice is completely flipped,
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where we might do 10 or 20, uh, full-field,
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uh, 2D exams, and the rest are tomosynthesis.
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So the world has completely changed, uh,
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in terms of breast imaging since that time.
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Uh, and I think this is true
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across many practices in the U.S.
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Um, and the reason this is because DBT
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has become a well-established improvement
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over standard, uh, 2D mammography.
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Um, uh, like I said, we're gonna review some
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sort of classic cases, uh, here, and this will
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be important for, um, getting up to speed on
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tomosynthesis and incorporating it into your practice.
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Um, we're gonna understand the imaging appearance of
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the classic findings and how DBT improves accuracy,
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and of course, reviewing this, uh, kind of thing.
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We'll just improve your confidence
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in daily interpretation.
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So, uh, as you all probably know, traditional,
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uh, digital screening or full-field digital
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is limited in its sensitivity for women, right?
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We know.
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If you look at the sensitivity of mammography, it's
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highest in those with completely fatty, uh, breasts.
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And its, uh, sensitivity is the least in
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those, one with extremely dense breasts.
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Um, so DBT can really help improve
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to see through that tissue.
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Traditional screening also hampered
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by high false positives, right?
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Related to that tissue overlap or superimposition.
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DBT was approved initially by the FDA in 2011.
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Um, and as mentioned, becoming the
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standard of care in breast imaging.
Ryan W. Woods, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor of Radiology
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
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