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2D mammography are images taken while the x-ray tube is stationary. Therefore, the images produced are in static form where they are not stacked layers like pages of a book where you can look into the pages, similar to looking at a CT Scan. As a result, because the extreme limitation of 2D static images, it makes interpretation difficult, especially if you are a patient with dense breast tissue, as cancers may be hiding in the tissue that are unable to be seen because of the limitation.
2D Mammography
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For over thirteen years, I received normal mammograms but with a note saying extremely dense breasts. Each year I continued to get my 2D mammogram, not knowing the difference in the level of accuracy a 3D mammogram would have provided. I was never informed about the risk factor of having dense breasts, they show up white on a mammogram and so does a tumor, making it very difficult for the radiologist to detect cancer.
What is the difference between 2D and 3D Mammography?
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3D mammography is where the images are acquired while the xray tube is in motion. Those images are then combined into a single stack which is read at the workstation by the radiologist by scrolling through the images, similar to a CT scan or turning the pages of a book. With this technique, one is able to see subtle findings between the slices of the images so that if a tiny cancer is hiding, for example, in dense tissue, it will be more conspicuous to the eye as it is able to be viewed in a 3D dimensional manner unlike 2D mammography which acquires static images.
