We're all used to x-rays that are simply black and white and give us a semblance of depth when viewed. What would color x-rays look like?

In the UK, color versions of the tried-and-true medical diagnosis method are being suggested as a way to identify smuggled substances in suitcases to spotting abnormal body tissue that normal x-rays may miss.

Regular monochrome x-rays already produce 3D images, but they can still fool physicians in terms of spotting conditions that would be more recognizable if there was more differentiation. Hopefully, color x-rays will become the norm in hospitals and clinics globally i the near future if they in fact do provide more information than existing machines.

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Good news! Researchers are reporting that there may be a less painful, and more accurate, way to scan breast tissue for abnormalities. Called the "Cone Beam Breast Computed Tomography" scanner, this new form of x-ray is basically a fancier version of the CT scan. It takes a three-dimensional view of the breast and the surrounding tissue, even over into the armpit, all without compressing anything between cold glass plates.

So far the scanner has detected all cancers found by standard mammography, and in one case created a clearer image of a cancer that was hard to see on the mammogram. Researchers are hopeful so far, saying that although several trials are still needed before the study is complete, it looks as though the new scan can detect more tumors than the mammogram can.

If approved, this procedure would be much pricier than a mammogram, and therefore most likely reserved for those at highest risk. But regardless, I'm sure women all over the world will have their fingers crossed that the results so far hold true!

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