The role of contrast-enhanced spectral mammography in detecting aggressive cancers

Full-field digital mammography (FFDM) is currently the first preference of breast imaging technique, yet breast cancer detection rate on FFDM is affected by different factors including breast density. Breast density in addition to the masking effect has also been established as a factor independently associated with the risk of breast cancer development. The risk of […]Full-field digital mammography (FFDM) is currently the first preference of breast imaging technique, yet breast cancer detection rate on FFDM is affected by different factors including breast density. Breast density in addition to the masking effect has also been established as a factor independently associated with the risk of breast cancer development. The risk of breast cancer among women with extremely dense breasts is approximately double that among women with non-dense breasts, and women with extremely dense breasts have a four to six times higher risk of breast cancer than women with fatty breasts. Consequently, several new breast imaging techniques have been developed to improve sensitivity. One of these techniques concerns contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM) (synonyms include contrast-enhanced spectral mammography (CESM) or contrast-enhanced dual-energy mammography (CEDM)), which is a dual-energy advanced technology arising from the digital mammography platform. The theory behind it is based on the success of the most sensitive of all breast imaging techniques: contrast-enhanced MRI.

The content on this page is provided by the individuals concerned and does not represent the views or opinions of RAD Magazine.