Digital breast tomosynthesis in breast cancer screening : an ethical perspective
(2024) In Insights into Imaging 15(1).- Abstract
Abstract: Although digital breast tomosynthesis has higher sensitivity than digital mammography and at least as high specificity, digital mammography remains the most common method for conducting mammographic screening. At the same time, mammography systems are now delivered “DBT-ready” and can be used for either digital mammography or digital breast tomosynthesis. In this paper, we ask whether it is ethically permissible to use such equipment for digital mammography, given its lower sensitivity. We argue it is not, and that clinics are ethically required to use their DBT-ready equipment to screen with digital breast tomosynthesis whenever this is practically possible. Our argument relies on a comparison between digital breast... (More)
Abstract: Although digital breast tomosynthesis has higher sensitivity than digital mammography and at least as high specificity, digital mammography remains the most common method for conducting mammographic screening. At the same time, mammography systems are now delivered “DBT-ready” and can be used for either digital mammography or digital breast tomosynthesis. In this paper, we ask whether it is ethically permissible to use such equipment for digital mammography, given its lower sensitivity. We argue it is not, and that clinics are ethically required to use their DBT-ready equipment to screen with digital breast tomosynthesis whenever this is practically possible. Our argument relies on a comparison between digital breast tomosynthesis and a hypothesized improvement in the image quality of digital mammography. Critical relevance statement: Women may lose out on the benefits of screening with digital breast tomosynthesis when DBT-ready equipment is used to screen with digital mammography; we argue that this practice is ethically problematic. Key Points: Digital breast tomosynthesis finds more cases of breast cancer than digital mammography. Mammography equipment can often be used to screen with both digital breast tomosynthesis and digital mammography. When they can, clinics are ethically required to use existing equipment to screen with digital breast tomosynthesis instead of digital mammography.
(Less)
- author
- Rosenqvist, Simon ; Brännmark, Johan and Dustler, Magnus LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2024-12
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Breast, Digital breast tomosynthesis, Digital mammography, Ethics, Health policy
- in
- Insights into Imaging
- volume
- 15
- issue
- 1
- article number
- 213
- publisher
- Springer
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:39186168
- scopus:85202027537
- ISSN
- 1869-4101
- DOI
- 10.1186/s13244-024-01790-w
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- bfe673a9-be9f-4d68-82c7-3113e082b34f
- date added to LUP
- 2024-10-28 13:50:04
- date last changed
- 2024-10-29 03:00:08
@misc{bfe673a9-be9f-4d68-82c7-3113e082b34f,
abstract = {{<p>Abstract: Although digital breast tomosynthesis has higher sensitivity than digital mammography and at least as high specificity, digital mammography remains the most common method for conducting mammographic screening. At the same time, mammography systems are now delivered “DBT-ready” and can be used for either digital mammography or digital breast tomosynthesis. In this paper, we ask whether it is ethically permissible to use such equipment for digital mammography, given its lower sensitivity. We argue it is not, and that clinics are ethically required to use their DBT-ready equipment to screen with digital breast tomosynthesis whenever this is practically possible. Our argument relies on a comparison between digital breast tomosynthesis and a hypothesized improvement in the image quality of digital mammography. Critical relevance statement: Women may lose out on the benefits of screening with digital breast tomosynthesis when DBT-ready equipment is used to screen with digital mammography; we argue that this practice is ethically problematic. Key Points: Digital breast tomosynthesis finds more cases of breast cancer than digital mammography. Mammography equipment can often be used to screen with both digital breast tomosynthesis and digital mammography. When they can, clinics are ethically required to use existing equipment to screen with digital breast tomosynthesis instead of digital mammography.</p>}},
author = {{Rosenqvist, Simon and Brännmark, Johan and Dustler, Magnus}},
issn = {{1869-4101}},
keywords = {{Breast; Digital breast tomosynthesis; Digital mammography; Ethics; Health policy}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{1}},
publisher = {{Springer}},
series = {{Insights into Imaging}},
title = {{Digital breast tomosynthesis in breast cancer screening : an ethical perspective}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13244-024-01790-w}},
doi = {{10.1186/s13244-024-01790-w}},
volume = {{15}},
year = {{2024}},
}