Ex-vivo mice mammary glands characterization using energy-dispersive X-ray diffraction and spatially resolved CdZnTe detectors

摘要

False-positive mammography results in breast cancer diagnosis can lead to unnecessary biopsies which are invasive and time-consuming. X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) has the potential of providing diagnosis-relevant information and thus can be used after a mammography to verify its results and possibly avoid needless biopsy. We present an Energy-Dispersive X-Ray Diffraction (EDXRD) system and data analysis method which allowed us to characterize healthy and cancerous mice mammary glands ex-vivo. Our technique showed decent gland localization along the z-axis as well as scatter signatures coherent with ones previously described in the literature. We used an in-house spatially resolved CdZnTe detector, along with a subpixelation technique which enhances spatial resolution. Acquisition time and dose delivered are to be optimized yet, however our results demonstrate the potential of EDXRD systems for depth-resolved breast imaging. Different geometries and processing algorithms are currently being investigated in the development of a future EDXRD clinical system for breast cancer diagnosis.