Study: New Technique Useful in Screening Women With Dense Breasts

Contrast-enhanced digital mammography appears to be useful in identifying suspicious findings in women with dense breasts, according to a report in the journal Radiology.

In their study, researchers from the University of Toronto had 22 women who had undergone breast biopsy for suspected cancer following an initial mammography undergo contrast digital mammography.

In contrast-enhanced digital mammography, a contrast agent that is injected makes the development of tumors visible against the dense breast tissue.

In the study, contrast-enhanced digital mammography accurately identified 8 of the 10 women with biopsy-proven malignancy, the researchers reported. The technique missed one case of ductal carcinoma in situ and one case of invasive ductal carcinoma.

In 12 women, benign breast lesions suspected of being malignant on conventional mammography were not flagged as possible breast cancer by contrast digital mammography.

This suggests that contrast digital mammography has has the potential to reduce false-positives and help women avoid unnecessary biopsies.

"The results of this preliminary study suggest that contrast-enhanced digital mammography potentially may be useful in identification of lesions in the mammographically dense breast," the researchers concluded. "Further investigation of contrast-enhanced digital mammography as a diagnostic tool for breast cancer is warranted."

Other Sources: Radiology