Propagation-based x-ray phase-contrast tomography of mastectomy samples using synchrotron radiation

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Radiology
• Biophysics

Background:

• Conventional absorption-based X-ray computed tomography (CT) has limitations in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for certain tissues.
• Propagation-based phase-contrast computed tomography (PB-CT) leverages X-ray refraction and absorption for enhanced imaging.
• Development of a breast CT imaging facility at the Australian Synchrotron is underway.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the image quality of PB-CT with conventional absorption-only CT for breast tissue.
• To evaluate PB-CT's potential for improving diagnostic accuracy in breast cancer detection.

Main Methods:

• Seven mastectomy samples (with and without lesions) were imaged using both absorption-only CT and PB-CT.
• Radiation doses were comparable to mammographic screening standards.
• Image characteristics (spatial resolution, SNR) and radiological quality were assessed.

Main Results:

• PB-CT images demonstrated superior objective image characteristics and radiological scores compared to absorption CT.
• Image quality improvements were observed despite minor image artifacts.
• Results align with theoretical predictions and prior experimental findings for PB-CT.

Conclusions:

• PB-CT shows significant potential to enhance existing medical X-ray technologies like mammography and digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT).
• Implementation at synchrotron facilities can improve breast cancer diagnosis accuracy.
• PB-CT can serve as a valuable complementary imaging modality.