Comparison of Dose Received During Breast Cancer Diagnosis Performed by Using Two Different Imaging Modalities: Contrast-enhanced Spectral Mammography and Full-field Digital Mammography

摘要

Breast cancer (BC) is strongly related to woman age. 95% of all BC cases affect women over 40 years of age. Mammography and ultrasound are the main diagnostic tools. Women with suspicious changes are referred to additional examination i.e. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). High progress in the development of new mammography devices i.e. new flat panel detectors, compression paddles, spectral modes and new type of X-ray tubes gives a variety of new diagnostic modules available for clinical use. The aim of this study was to compare doses given to the patients during full-field digital mammography with doses obtained from dual-energy contrast-enhanced spectral mammography (CESM). The comparison of entrance surface air kerma (ESAK) and average glandular dose (AGD) values for both options are discussed in the paper. Our preliminary data show that CESM might be a new diagnostic tool allowing an accurate detection of malignant breast lesions, giving results similar to those received from MRI. However, due to higher levels of radiation exposure during CESM, one should take risk factor into account. Each method has its own benefits with respect to specific applications which are further discussed.