PORTLAND -- Doctors at Oregon Health Sciences University are touting new technology they say can detect cancerous breast tumors and prevent unnecessary biopsies.

The latest MRI technology offers shutter-speed computer analysis they say distinguishes malignant from benign tumors 100 percent of the time.

OHSU researchers’ findings have been published in the current issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The new technique analyzes image data of breast cancer patients to develop a precise approach to determine whether a tumor is cancerous or benign, according to Dr. Charles Springer.

"While standard mammography is effective, it also results in a very significant number of false-positive results," Springer said. "This means that following a positive mammographic indication, a large number of women are referred to undergo the physical and mental stress of a biopsy procedure only to learn that they in fact do not have breast cancer.”

Springer says the MRI shutter-speed exam will provide a quicker, clearer diagnosis if breast cancer is suspected from mammogram and MRI results.

The new technique would be an intermediate diagnostic step and could reduce surgical procedures.

It could also reduce pain, stress and expense, Springer said.

An older type of MRI analysis currently used by OHSU in detecting breast cancer “offers little improvement over mammography when attempting to distinguish between malignant and benign tumors,” according to researchers.

The new technique was tested on 22 female volunteers who had previously screened positive for breast cancer. Only seven of the 22 women actually had malignant tumors, according to findings from the new technique.

Projections were later found to be 100 percent accurate, OHSU researchers said.