What is the difference between digital mammography and regular mammography

This is called the specificity of the test. When sensitivity is high, the test picks up even the slightest abnormal finding. This is called a false positive result. When specificity is high, there are few false positive results, but more cases of true cancer are missed. No screening test has perfect sensitivity and perfect specificity. That is, when a test gains sensitivity, it loses some specificity. Learn more about the quality of screening tests.

Table note: The studies below compare the sensitivity and specificity for film and digital mammography. There are no data comparing survival for women who had screening with film mammography versus those who had screening with digital mammography. Don't miss your FREE gift.

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It is similar to the difference between a digital camera and a regular one. The primary advantage is the picture can be saved in a computer, which makes it easier to pass on from one doctor to the next. Because the picture of the breast is digital, it allows the radiologist to adjust the contrast, the brightness, and the magnification of images without additional exposures for the patient.

This sounds like it would make mammograms easier to read, but no studies have yet demonstrated any meaningful improvement in the ability to find a cancer with digital mammography.