A computer-aided detection system can help radiologists spot small breast tumors that may otherwise be missed, results of a study show. The system detected 92 percent of cancers that were 5 millimeters in size or smaller.

"The mammographic detection of small breast cancers is most challenging," Dr. Rachel F. Brem, director of breast imaging at George Washington University in Washington, DC, and colleagues note in the American Journal of Roentgenology.

They assessed the ability of a computer-aided detection system to detect breast cancers that had been confirmed by biopsy. The study population included 201 women with various types of breast tumors.

Overall, the computer-aided detection system detected 89 percent of the breast cancers. In terms of cancer size, the system detected 92 percent of cancers 5 millimeters or smaller in size, 94 percent of cancers between 11 and 15 millimeters, and 80 percent of those between 16 and 20 millimeters.

The computer-aided detection system is a "useful tool for the improved detection of breast cancer, regardless of the size of the cancer," the authors conclude.

SOURCE: American Journal of Roentgenology, March 2005.