A landmark breast cancer screening trial shows that digital mammography detected more cancers - up to 28 percent more - than screen film mammography in women 50 and younger, premenopausal and perimenopausal women, and women with dense breasts.

However, the trial, conducted by the American College of Radiology Imaging Network (ACRIN) in conjunction with the Center for Statistical Sciences at Brown Medical School, showed no difference between digital and film mammography in detecting breast cancer for the general population of women. The results were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

With 49,528 women enrolled at 33 clinical sites, the trial is one of the largest breast cancer screening studies ever performed. Brown's Center for Statistical Sciences developed the study's statistical design and analyzed the results.

"The data show that digital mammography is, on average, as good at detecting breast cancer as film mammography - and in some important subgroups of women, digital performs even better," said Constantine Gatsonis, network statistician for ACRIN, professor of community health and applied mathematics at Brown, and an author of the New England Journal article.