Diagnostic Mammography | Breast Biopsy | Breast Ultrasound | Ductogram | Other Diagnostics Procedures

Today, mammography is the most effective method of detecting breast cancers at an early stage. There are, however, a number of procedures that are being studied or are under development for future application in the detection and diagnosis of breast cancer. Research efforts are focused on procedures to find cancers that are smaller than those that can currently be detected by mammography and to improve the ability to distinguish benign breast conditions from breast cancer.

Other Potential Diagnostic Procedures

• Contrast-Enhanced Mammography - X-ray images are made of the breast following administration of a contrast into the breast. The images highlight areas of high blood flow and increased vascularity, which is often associated with the rapid growth of tumors. This is currently under clinical trials in the United States.

• Tomosynthesis and 3D Imaging Acquisition - A series of low dose images are taken from many angles at different views around the breast. From these images, a "synthetic tomogram" sequence is computed, separating the breast tissue into slices. This separation of tissue into virtual slices helps the physician clearly see features which might be obscured in a normal 2D mammogram. This technology is not approved by the FDA in the United States.

• Nuclear Medicine - A method that involves the injection of a small amount of a radioactive substance into the body that collects in a targeted area of the body, followed by imaging with a special camera that records where radiation has accumulated. This test is currently less sensitive than mammography in detecting breast cancers. Research with this method is continuing to determine whether it may be useful in evaluating some abnormalities detected by mammography.

• Positron Emission Tomography (PET Scanning) - A method that creates an image of the body after the injection of a very low dose of a radioactive form of a substance such as glucose (sugar). The scan computes the rate at which the tumor is using the sugar. In general, high-grade tumors use more sugar than normal and low-grade tumors use less. PET scans are useful in detecting the spread of breast cancer. It is not currently used for detection of breast cancer because it does not detect cancers smaller than 1 cm.