Good news for women in the fight against breast cancer -- new and better detection technology is on the horizon.

Digital mammography, which to the patient looks and feels like conventional mammography, is growing across the nation. Medical professionals are finding that this particular form of screening is better at detecting abnormalities in women under 50, young women with dense breast tissue, and premenopausal women.

Other new technologies aren't far behind. Cone Beam Breast Computed Tomography (CBBCT) takes over 300 pictures of a woman's breast, then creates a 3-D image for examination. (As an added benefit, with this test, there are no glass plates to be smashed between!) The test can also examine tissue along the rib and into the armpit area, places traditional mammography has trouble seeing.

Doctors are hopeful that this new technology will be another powerful weapon in the war on breast cancer. But, they remind us, don't wait for new high-tech equipment to arrive in your doctor's office before you get your mammogram. Women 40 and above should be screened every 1-2 years.