Calcifications in the breast and digital breast tomosynthesis

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Medical Imaging
• Breast Imaging

Background:

• Conventional mammography (CM) is a standard screening tool for breast cancer.
• Digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) is an emerging technology offering improved visualization of breast tissue.
• The comparative clarity of calcifications between CM and DBT requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the clarity of breast calcifications depicted on conventional mammography (CM) versus digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT).
• To assess subjective diagnostic quality, sharpness, and contrast of calcifications between the two imaging modalities.

Main Methods:

• A study involving 3,000 women who underwent both CM and DBT screening.
• Review of 119 sequential cases with relevant calcifications by two experienced breast imaging radiologists.
• Unblinded, side-by-side comparison of MLO (DBT) and MLO/CC (CM) projections, allowing for window/leveling and zoom adjustments.

Main Results:

• Calcifications were seen with superior clarity on DBT in 41.6% of cases.
• Visibility was equivalent between DBT and CM in 50.4% of cases.
• In 92% of cases, calcification clarity on DBT was equal to or better than on CM, with nearly half showing improved clarity on DBT.

Conclusions:

• Digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) demonstrates calcifications with at least equal clarity compared to conventional mammography (CM).
• The findings suggest DBT can provide comparable or enhanced interpretive analysis of detected calcifications.
• DBT shows potential for improving the diagnostic accuracy in breast cancer screening through better calcification visualization.