When it comes to breast cancer screening, every extra cancer found early can save a life. A new analysis of existing studies suggests that contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM), a type of mammogram that uses a contrast dye to highlight suspicious areas, may find more cancers than the standard low-energy mammogram.
Researchers pooled data from multiple studies and found that CEM detected 9.3 additional cancers per 1,000 women screened compared with low-energy mammography. That's a meaningful difference, though the exact number varied across studies. The analysis also looked at how CEM compares with breast MRI, another powerful imaging tool. In selected screening situations, CEM performed broadly similarly to MRI, but the evidence is less certain.
The findings come from a meta-analysis, which combines results from several studies to get a clearer picture. However, the studies were quite different from each other, and the number of cancer cases was limited, especially for the CEM versus MRI comparison. So while the results are promising, they are not the final word.
For women with dense breasts or a personal history of breast cancer, CEM might offer a useful middle ground between standard mammography and MRI. But more research is needed to confirm these findings and to understand which women benefit most. If you're considering your screening options, talk to your doctor about what's right for you.
