Contrast-enhanced mammography improves patient access to functional breast imaging.

Area of Science:

• Radiology and Imaging
• Oncology
• Medical Technology

Background:

• Breast cancer detection and diagnosis increasingly rely on individualized imaging approaches.
• Standard mammography and ultrasound can be limited in detecting certain breast cancer subtypes and in women with dense breasts.
• Contrast-enhanced breast imaging offers superior sensitivity for screening, staging, and treatment response assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the evidence supporting contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM) as an alternative to contrast-enhanced MRI (CE-MRI).
• To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy, cost-effectiveness, and patient accessibility of CEM compared to CE-MRI.
• To highlight CEM's potential to meet the growing demand for advanced breast imaging.

Main Methods:

• Review of current literature and accumulating evidence on CEM.
• Comparison of CEM diagnostic accuracy with CE-MRI, standard mammography, and ultrasound.
• Analysis of cost, patient comfort, and accessibility factors for both CEM and CE-MRI.

Main Results:

• CEM demonstrates comparable diagnostic accuracy to CE-MRI.
• CEM is significantly more cost-effective and offers greater patient comfort than CE-MRI.
• CEM can be implemented on most modern mammography units with a relatively inexpensive upgrade.

Conclusions:

• CEM is a viable and attractive alternative to CE-MRI for functional breast imaging.
• The adoption of CEM can improve patient access to advanced breast cancer detection and diagnosis, particularly in underserved areas.
• CEM has the potential to alleviate limitations associated with CE-MRI, such as cost and accessibility.