TUESDAY, Nov. 29, 2005 (HealthDay News) -- Are breast cancer screening facilities just too far away, particularly for women living in rural areas? High-tech "telemammography" can help, a new study suggests.
Researchers say digital mammography images can be accurately transmitted over broadband Internet.
"We've proven that telemammography works," lead researcher Dr. Alan R. Melton, assistant clinical professor of radiology at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center in New York City, said in a prepared statement.
"The ability to transmit mammograms over long distances could significantly help solve the crisis in access to screening mammography, as well as improve the accuracy of interpretation of the examinations," Melton added.
The findings were presented Tuesday at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America in Chicago.
The study, which included more than 1,300 diagnostic screening mammograms, found that it was possible to transmit full-field digital mammography (FFDM) images to another location without compromising accuracy, security or the use of computer-aided detection software.
The images were transmitted via Internet cable in a highly secure environment -- including private networks and firewalls --- to an interpreting workstation 110 miles away. Each image took less than 45 seconds to transmit. The images received at the workstation were identical to the original images, Melton said.
"These results suggest that regional interpretation centers could be established to improve the accuracy and efficiency of screening mammography, reduce screening backlogs and aid under-serviced areas," he said.
More information
The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about mammography.
