Breast cancer other imaging studies

Breast Cancer Microchapters
Home
Patient Information
Overview
Historical Perspective
Classification
Pathophysiology
Causes
Differentiating Breast cancer from other Diseases
Epidemiology and Demographics
Risk Factors
Screening
Natural History, Complications and Prognosis
Diagnosis
Diagnostic study of choice
History and Symptoms
Physical Examination
Laboratory Findings
Electrocardiogram
X-ray
CT scan
MRI
Echocardiography or Ultrasound
Other Imaging Studies
Other Diagnostic Studies
Treatment
Medical Therapy
Surgery
Primary Prevention
Cost-Effectiveness of Therapy
Future or Investigational Therapies
Case Studies
Case #1
Breast cancer other imaging studies On the Web
Most recent articles
Most cited articles
Review articles
CME Programs
Powerpoint slides
Images
American Roentgen Ray Society Images of Breast cancer other imaging studies All Images X-rays Echo & Ultrasound CT Images MRI
Ongoing Trials at Clinical Trials.gov
US National Guidelines Clearinghouse
NICE Guidance
FDA on Breast cancer other imaging studies
CDC on Breast cancer other imaging studies
Breast cancer other imaging studies in the news
Blogs on Breast cancer other imaging studies
Directions to Hospitals Treating Breast cancer
Risk calculators and risk factors for Breast cancer other imaging studies

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Soroush Seifirad, M.D.[2]Ammu Susheela, M.D. [3]

Overview

Other diagnostic studies for breast cancer include scintimammography and bone scan.

Scintimammography

• Scintimammography uses a radioactive material (known as a radioactive isotope) and a special camera to take pictures of the breast. It is done:

• to check breast lumps that do not show up clearly on a mammogram because of:

• scar tissue from previous surgery or radiation therapy
• dense breast tissue
• breast implants

• when multiple tumors are seen in the breast
• to scan the lymph nodes in the armpit (axilla) to see if they contain cancer

• Scintimammography is not commonly used. It does not replace mammography, which is still the standard imaging test used to diagnose breast cancer. At present, scintimammography is considered a second-line diagnostic tool. It may be used in some women to assess breast abnormalities after a mammogram.

Bone Scan

• A bone scan uses bone-seeking radioactive materials (radiopharmaceuticals) and a computer to create a picture of the bones. It is used to see if breast cancer has spread (metastasized) to the bones.
• A bone scan may be done if:

• Alkaline phosphatase in the blood is increased
• There are lymph nodes in the armpit (axillary lymph nodes) that can be felt
• The primary breast tumor is larger than 5 cm
• The woman has aches and pains that may be caused by bone metastases

• A bone scan is not done in women who have stage I breast cancer.

Thermography

• Digital infrared thermal imaging (DITI) is a type of thermography which is used in the screening of breast cancer
• An infrared thermal camera takes pictures of the areas of different temperature in the breasts.
• The camera displays these patterns as a sort of heat map.
• Since the presence of cancerous growth is associated with the excessive formation of blood vessels and inflammation in the breast tissue.
• On the infrared images, these higher temperatures could be detected.

Benefits

• Non-invasive procedure
• Non-contact procedure (does not compress the breast)
• No exposure to radiation, (safe)
• It can detect vascular changes in breast tissue associated with breast cancer many years in advance of other methods of screening.
• It can be used for all women, including those with dense breast tissue and breast implants.
• Hormonal changes do not affect results.

Drawbacks

• High false-positive rate
• High false-negative rate
• Rarely covered by medical insurance
• The high false-positive and false-negative rates associated with thermography often mean that the woman will need a standard mammogram anyway.

Other options

• Ultrasonography and MRI

• The recommended follow-up procedures when a woman has a positive mammogram.

• Ultrasonography is particularly effective to distinguish between a solid mass and a fluid-filled cyst.

• It is often combined with mammography for a more thorough evaluation of breast tissue.
• Because Small calcium buildups are hard to detect with ultrasound

• A breast MRI is used to look at the size of cancer, shreds of evidence of metastases as well s presence of other tumors in certain cases.
• Also recommended for screening of the high-risk patients wherein serial mammography might increase the likelihood of developing cancer in them.