Novel functional methods in the evaluation of breast lesions

Abstract

Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers in women. Mammography is an excellent method with proven impact on breast cancer mortality reduction. Nevertheless, mammography is not a perfect method, with some weaknesses, especially in screening women with dense breasts, preoperative staging and treatment evaluation. Breast magnetic resonance imaging has shown the necessity and relevance of functional evaluation of breast lesions. The authors describe two methods of functional evaluation of breasts and describe their own experience with contrast-enhanced digital mammography and with breast-specific gamma imaging. Both methods are already available in our country and have shown promising results in the detection of mammographically occult lesions, confirmation of suspicious lesions and in the reduction of unnecessary biopsies and may supplement the weaknesses of mammography, particularly in the investigation of dense breasts.