Title:Application of Synchrotron Radiation in Mammography
VOLUME: 2 ISSUE: 2
Author(s):Kristina Bliznakova
Affiliation:Department of Medical Physics, School of Medicine, University of Patras, 26500, Rio, Patras, Greece.
Keywords:Breast computed tomography, breast tomosynthesis, compact light sources, computed tomography of diffraction
enhanced imaging, detectors for synchrotron radiation, diffraction enhanced imaging, inline phase contrast, k-edge subtraction
imaging, morphological studies, phase contrast mammography, reconstruction techniques, synchrotron radiation, x-ray mammography.
Abstract:Recent and emerging applications of synchrotron radiation for mammography have been reviewed and their
suitability and future perspectives in diagnostic mammography have been highlighted. Scientific literature and patents
review have been accomplished for the last fifteen years in the field of mammography with synchrotron radiation. Phase
contrast mammography, k-edge mammography, three-dimensional (3D) mammography, like breast computed tomography
and tomosynthesis are amongst the most anticipating applications of synchrotron radiation for mammography. The
currently running synchrotron radiation clinical program in mammography, at the SYRMEP beamline at ELETTRA
(Trieste) demonstrates mammograms with a high spatial resolution and enhanced features contrast at mean glandular
dose, comparable with the one in conventional mammography, revealing the potential of this technique in early detection
of breast cancer. Mammograms obtained with diffraction enhanced imaging are characterised with high spatial resolution
and excellent visibility of thin collagen strands. Thus, this imaging technique may be used for morphological studies of
breast tissues. Efforts are also directed towards realisation of 3D techniques with synchrotron beams. Initial results with
breast tissue samples demonstrate potential of tissue differentiation, breast structure separation in depth and clear cancer
architecture. The development of new high resolution, low dose and multi-slice detectors, image acquisition protocols and
image reconstruction techniques are some of the goals to be achieved towards the implementation of high resolution fullthickness
3D breast imaging. The implementation of the discussed mammographic applications with synchrotron radiation
in routine clinical practice, however, faces practical problems such as the large size and very high cost of the synchrotron
facilities. It is expected the exploitation of novel more economic synchrotron compact radiation sources to reduce this cost
and result in more intensive use of the mammography modalities with synchrotron radiation, specifically in clarifying the
ambiguity of the traditional x-ray mammography examinations.
