Breast Imaging Techniques and Their Application in Breast Disease

Abstract

Mammography represents the foundation of breast imaging and maintains the central role in breast imaging techniques applied t o breast cancer surveillance. Sonography is best utilized in differentiating solid from cystic mammographic densities. Magnetic resonance imaging is finding utility in sorting out the dense and/or altered breast (augmented breast). Positron emission tomography may be a useful tool t o help determine cytotoxic response from therapeutic chemotherapy regimens. Thalium-201 and Technetium-99m Sestamibi show uptake by breast cancer cells and demonstrate a significantly higher specificity than mammography. The higher specificity of scintimammography is feeding current enthusiasm for the study of its role in early detection, complementing mammography in indeterminate lesions and noninvasive axillary staging. A comprehensive review of breast imaging techniques applied t o breast cancer surveillance and diagnosis along with management strategies for abnormal studies is provided.arcinoma of the breast is the most common invasive C malignancy in women. In 1995,183,400 new breast cancer diagnoses are predicted (1). It ranks second in cancer-related mortality. One in every eight women will develop an invasive breast cancer within her lifetime. The incidence continues to rise at the rate of 3% per year. Given this significant danger to women, extensive effort is devoted to breast cancer surveillance. This review is an Address correspondence and reprint requests to Ira] Khalkhali, M D , Harbor-UCLA Professional Building, 21 840 South Norrnandie Avenue, Suite 500, Torrance, California 90502, U S A 0 199T Blackwell Science, I n c , 107i-l22X/95/$10 50'0 The, Breii,t Iournul, hlurnt. I , Number 5, 1995 284-294