Breast cancer, the most common form of cancer in American women, is the leading cause of cancer related deaths among women between the ages of 15 and 54 years. The promising increase in the rate of detected breast cancer is believed to be partly due to improved screening through mammography examinations. Currently, almost all mammography is performed using screen film systems and x-ray units dedicated to performing mammography examinations. Because there are several limitations in the use of screen-film systems for mammography, the technology to perform digital mammography has been developed. The potential advantages of digital mammography have been established by the extensive use of small field, spot digital image units for needle localization or core biopsy procedures. The one remaining technical advance required to bring digital mammography to the clinical setting is that of efficiently displaying digital mammography images. We seek funding to develop a review station with optimum display protocols for digital mammography. Evaluation of the completed system will involve comparing laser-printed film images on the view box with the images on the monitors as presentations for the mamographers in the interpretation of full breast digital mammography images. Optimal display protocols for high resolution 4k x 4k x 12 bit mammography images are an integral requirement in the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of breast cancer.
The clinical acceptance and use of full- breast digital mammography systems now depends upon the development of systems and display protocols that a radiologist can effectively utilize. There is a large potential market for the sale of digital review stations that can replace existing film-based review systems.
