Breast cancer technologies need faster progress

In this story: Early detection and intervention Improving access RELATED STORIES, SITES

By Pete Hartogs
CNN Medical Producer

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Newer technologies in breast cancer detection need more study at a faster pace, according to a new report released Thursday by an Institute of Medicine (IOM) committee.

"We aren't moving fast enough," said Dr. Craig Henderson of the University of California-San Francisco and vice-chair of the committee. "We need to reassess our priorities in this area," he said. "I think we've had a tendency to sit back and say, 'This is an old question ... we've solved. Mammography's enough.' It's not enough."

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Get the full report from the National Academy of Sciences

The report found that while many technologies appear to offer varying degrees of screening or detection, no "significant" steps forward have been taken in the field of breast imaging, and more research is needed.

"To date, no quantum leap has been made in this area," said Joyce C. Lashof, chair of the committee. "At the same time, many of the newer tools offer certain advantages and deserve to be studied further."

Early detection and intervention

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death for cancer in women in the United States. More than 180,000 cases of breast cancer are diagnosed and at least 40,000 women die yearly from the disease. Early detection is believed to have reduced breast cancer mortality by allowing early intervention.

Although there are advances on the horizon that show promise in detecting breast cancer, "none have yet proved superior" to traditional X-ray film mammography, the "gold standard" in detection of the disease, according to the study.

The IOM committee looked at 17 breast imaging tools, including the FDA approved digital mammography, ultrasound, computer-aided detection systems and MRI, as well as others not approved by FDA.

Genetics also plays a role, according Henderson. He said most cancers involve changes in the human genome that have occurred over time, and by studying these changes, cancers can be detected before they show up on a mammogram.

The report said there is no one technology that is capable of accurately detecting all breast cancers, and the best method may be a combination of tools. Ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging have shown "potential" as adjuncts -- additional treatments -- in the diagnosis and screening of breast cancer, especially in getting clearer pictures in dense breast tissue in younger women.

Improving access

In addition to evaluating scientific evidence on the new technologies, the committee also looked at how these technologies work their way through the approval pipeline from testing to clinical usage.

According to the committee, the FDA and the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) should base approval and coverage decisions on clinical trial results that prove screening effectiveness.

The committee said greater access to mammography is needed, especially for women who lack health insurance. Currently only about 15 percent of the under-served population has access to mammography. The government is trying to broaden that to 70 percent.

Henderson said in many cases, the cost of a mammogram exceeds reimbursement. "There are many departments of radiology across the country that say, 'Every time we do a mammogram, we lose money and we do it as a service, but we can only do this for so long.' " Another problem is that the under-served often use clinics that don't even have mammography machines, added Henderson.

The committee's recommendations: