Tomosynthesis in breast cancer screening and interval cancers: will it change practice?

According to an estimate reported in news from Germany, where breast cancer is the most common cancer in women (about 75,000 new cases a year), tomosynthesis in screening could prevent roughly a quarter of invasive interval cancers, meaning those that appear within 2 years after digital mammography. It is also reported to detect more cancers at the screening itself. Note that the focus is on interval cancers; the description gives no data on mortality. What shall we discuss: — How meaningful is a reduction in interval cancers without mortality data? Which endpoints would you find convincing? — How do you weigh higher detection against the risks of overdiagnosis and false positives? What matters more for a screening program? — How do you explain to students the difference between an interval cancer, a false-negative result, and the limited sensitivity of a test? The topic is relevant for USMLE (sensitivity and specificity of screening methods, interval cancer, false negatives) and for discussing screening programs in clinical practice. Full article: drasiiavinograd.com/blog/breast-cancer-screening-tomosynthesis-interva Source: Medical Xpress medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-tomosynthesis-breast-cancer-frequently-