The earlier breast cancer is detected, the better the chances of successful treatment. When it comes to breast cancer screening, women often have a choice - digital mammography or three-dimensional (3-D) mammography.

Now, the question arises - what is the difference between the two, and which is better?

In the past, mammograms were scanned using X-rays. In recent years, digital mammography have become the standard, enabling healthcare providers to store and analyze images with a computer. 

Digital mammograms use the same technique as regular mammograms: the patient positions her breasts between two plates by flattening and compressing them so they get the perfect angle. A digital imaging procedure is then carried out by taking images from top to bottom and side to side. Film mammograms are saved on hard drives, but digital mammograms are converted into electrical signals that are stored on a computer.

The process of such mammography is uncomfortable for many women, even though the process only takes a few minutes and can detect a tumor with high accuracy.

Currently, doctors are offering 3D mammography, also known as tomosynthesis (or tomo), which uses the same X-ray technology and method as a two-dimensional mammogram. A two-dimensional mammogram only takes images of the breast from the side and front, resulting in overlapping images, whereas a three-dimensional mammogram produces images of the breast in multiple "slices" from different angles. As a result, it becomes easier to find potentially problematic abnormalities.