Subtle abnormalities in highly dense breasts detected by use of a digital phase contrast mammography system: A report of three invasive cancer cases in the early stage

Abstract

Detection of invasive breast cancers in the early stage is of great significance in reducing mortality. Phase contrast mammography (PCM) is a promising approach to improving the conspicuity of subtle lesions camouflaged by dense glandular tissue by virtue of the edge effect obtained through the phase contrast technique. The specific images of PCM in three cases of invasive, early-stage breast cancers with corresponding pathological images of cancer are reported in this paper. The cases demonstrate that the microlobulated contours of lesions with surrounding fine fibrous structures are well depicted in PCM images. Our findings are consistent with studies evaluating physical image quality in which PCM effectively improved the depiction of fibrous structures. It is expected that the number of abnormalities observed in dense breasts, including subtle findings without microcalcifications, would increase in PCM mammograms. © 2008 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.