A Brief History of Mammography

Breast cancer is not new, but the means we use to detect and study it is. Mammography, the science that is used to examine the breast, following a brief history of mammography, only began to develop roots in the last century. Since then, the means and methods to detect cancer tumors just keep changing.

It was not until 1895 that the x-ray was developed. In 1913, a German surgeon by the name of Alfred Salomon became the first person to try and visualize breast cancer through the use of radiology. Salomon used any conventional x-ray machine to see more specimens era of more than 3,000 mastectomy which he performed. From here, he was able to gain a better understanding of what is or is not normal in the breast tissue, thus establishing himself as the father of modern mammography. Salomon research, however, is only the beginning of the development of the field.

In 1930, Dr. Stafford L. Warren provides a breakthrough in the field. Stafford research supports the effectiveness of mammography as a diagnostic tool for breast cancer and subsequently developed a stereoscopic techniques to the field. Warren Further research found that the side by side comparison of the left and right breasts can do more to detect abnormalities, making it even more simple to diagnose disease. In 1949, doctors Uruguay Raul Leborgne to develop a method of compression. A radiologist by trade, Leborgne find a device that holds a flat breast between the cone and the pad while the x-rays taken. This method allows x-rays to produce better image quality overall, making the process simpler and more accurate diagnosis. Additionally, Leborgne was the first to suggest looking for micro calcifications in the breast, which refers to the appearance of small white dots that may be an early indicator of cancer development.

The next major breakthrough in mammography came in the late 1950s, when Houston radiologist Robert Egan introduced the use of fine-grained screen and film industry to produce clearer images. With his team at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Egan examine images of the breasts of 1,000 women who did not show obvious signs of cancer. Through closer inspection, Egan and other researchers discovered a cancerous mass 238 between results.

Mammograms become widely accepted as a means of detection of breast cancer in 1960, and a study conducted from 1963 to 1966 found that they were able to reduce deaths from breast cancer by a third. A high-definition display that was developed in 1972 provided the x-ray technician with sharper images. Twenty years later, Congress enacted the Mammography Quality Standards Act, ensuring that all women have access to proper treatment of breast cancer when needed.

This field continues to grow. As recently as last year, the Journal of the American Medical Association published a study that found the 3D technology excels in finding cancer during traditional mammograms. It's hard to say what the coming years will bring, but it almost certainly will be more to come.