Mammography has long been the gold standard for breast cancer detection. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, nearly 75% of all U.S. women over age 40 report they have had a mammogram in the past two years.

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Despite its high profile in the imaging world, there are some concerns about mammography's effectiveness. According to the American Cancer Society, screening mammograms miss about one in five cancers. Meanwhile, false-positive results bring unwarranted stress and lead to unnecessary tests. Another concern is the increased likelihood of erroneous results among the one-third to one-half of women who have dense breast tissue.