A new study from the University of Pennsylvania shows that the digital breast tomosynthesis – or 3D mammography – can better detect the disease, Fox News reports.

For the study, researchers compared the scans of 15,633 women who underwent 3D mammography with the scans of 10,753 women who underwent conventional mammography.

Overall, the researchers discovered that 3D mammography decreased the rate at which patients needed to be recalled for further testing from 10.40 percent to 8.78 percent. Furthermore, the proportion of positive mammograms resulting in a cancer diagnosis increased by 46 percent.

“It’s the most exciting improvement to mammography that I have seen in my career.” said study author Dr. Emily F. Conant, chief of breast imaging in the department of radiology at the University of Pennsylvania.