Clinical Use of Computer-aided Detection in Mammography

摘要

The fact that not all breast cancers are detected at mammography has been apparent for many years (1). All radiologists who read mammograms regularly have seen socalled missed cancers or false-negative mammograms and have had their own share of misses. There are various reasons for false-negative mammograms. Sometimes the cancer is truly a new finding; sometimes it blends into the surrounding tissues, making it extremely difficult to see; and sometimes we simply fail to notice an obvious cancer for reasons we cannot explain. In most cases, we are not aware of a missed cancer on a mammogram until several months or years have passed, making it impossible to reconstruct or remember the original reading. Unfortunately, the search for cancer on a mammogram is subject to the frailties of human perception. Subtle or imperceptible lesions, eye fatigue, and unknown momentary distractions probably all contribute to false-negative mammograms.