The University has had wide experience in this field, in fact, one of the widest in Europe. It is estimated that some 13% of breast cancers appears in women of fertile age. Moreover, the survival rate for this illness is high, which is why young women treated for breast cancer can entertain the possibility of a pregnancy.

The specialist at the University Hospital insisted that, "the treatment of breast cancer in pregnant patients may be undertaken and with very good results. Experience shows that pregnancy does not worsen the prognosis of breast cancer. Moreover, surgical treatment and with quimiotherapy for this illness does not increases the risk of congenital anomalies, always taking into account the gestational age and an application of the most suitable treatment for each case".

The treatment should be individualised and the experience of gynaecologists and oncologists should be involved with the participation of the woman patient in the making of decisions. "For the patient to be exposed to a treatment during pregnancy is a difficult experience, but it should be known that treatment of breast cancer is possible".

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When the researchers compared the exams and took into account findings seen with tomosynthesis only, they found that approximately 40 percent of the patients would not have been recalled had they originally been screened using tomosynthesis. As a diagnostic imaging technique for follow-up of a potential abnormality in the breast, tomosynthesis was as good if not better than diagnostic mammography in 88 percent of patients.

Dr. Poplack is optimistic about the ability of tomosynthesis to improve the overall accuracy of diagnosing breast disease. "Tomosynthesis is going to reduce the number of false-positive screening exams and will probably allow us to find more early breast cancers," he said.

He pointed to a number of reasons this technology is appealing. "The similarity of tomosynthesis to mammography allows us to build on the current foundation of mammography while improving interpretation," he said. "It is both an evolution of mammography technology and revolutionary new technology."

Dr. Poplack expects that tomosynthesis, which is currently in the research phase, will be routinely be used in both screening and diagnostic mammography at major medical centers in the next several years.

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