Mammography technology developer Sigmascreening is directing attention to a recent study that found substantial variation in the compression force used during digital mammography on the breasts of Asian women.
In a study published in PLOS One that evaluated 15,898 digital mammograms from 3,772 Asian women, researchers from the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, confirmed a force-standardized protocol leads to large variations in compression practices, according to Sigmascreening. The mean compression pressure for all mammograms was 17.77 ± 10.51 kPa, indicating a very unpredictable outcome of the compression procedure in these women, the company said.
Sigmascreening said the study is important in that it clarifies Asian women, who generally have smaller breasts, are subject to force-standardized protocols originally intended for Caucasian women. The firm said pressure-guided mammography with its Sigma Paddle, which takes breast size into account, could lead to improved test results and less unnecessary discomfort and pain -- especially for Asian women.
