New Test Detects Breast Cancer

October is national Breast Cancer Awareness month. The American Cancer Society estimates there will be more than 213,000 new cases this year.

A new screening test is so effective it's helping doctors catch what mammograms miss.

Barbara Hardy was devastated when doctors discovered some suspicious areas on her mammogram.

"Right now I'm just very concerned. You know, anxious. I want to find out," said Hardy.

The 62-year-old decided to try a new screening test to help doctors get a closer look.

It's called, radioactive imaging. Patients are injected with a tiny amount of radioactive liquid. The liquid travels to the cancer site and highlights it.

"Cancer cells are more active than normal cells so they will take out more of this radioactive tracer than the rest of the surrounding cells and very simply produces a black spot," said Dr. Lillian Stern of Methodist Hospital.

Experts say mammograms miss about 20 percent of breast cancers, and a quarter of mammograms will have some cloudiness because of dense breast tissue. This test is especially helpful in those cases.

Ines Fusco discovered a lump on her breast that didn't show up on a mammogram or ultrasound. Radioactive imaging found it.

"I give it all the credit in the world. It saved my life," said Fusco.

There are 33 hospitals in the U.S. that now offer radioactive imaging. It isn't meant to replace mammograms. Doctors haven't used it on enough patients yet, but it is showing promise for hard to detect cancers. And those like Hardy, are thankful it detected she didn't have cancer at all.