Breast tomosynthesis is a three-dimensional (3D) mammogram. Tomosynthesis is shown to be beneficial in the detection of small breast cancers compared with conventional mammography alone, particularly for women with dense breast tissue as this technique reduces tissue overlap.
Tomosynthesis is not a replacement for conventional mammograms, it is a complementary imaging technique. It is performed on the same mammography machine with a similar positioning technique to a standard mammogram. During the scan multiple images are taken of each breast during a single sweep; the computer then reconstructs the generated images into a three-dimensional image.
This technique significantly improves our ability to detect breast cancer. Detection is increased by as much as 50% in some studies. Tomosynthesis will typically find 12-27 additional cancers per 10,000 mammograms compared with conventional mammography.
Not all our clinics offer this service, please talk to our bookings team to find out if it’s offered near you.
An adult family member or friend is welcome to attend during your scan to support you, however we kindly ask you not to bring children to your appointment and to keep to a maximum of one support person only.