There are three major types of breast imaging tests that are widely used at this time: mammograms, ultrasound, and breast MRI. There are also other tests, such as CT scans, bone scans, and PET scans, that are utilized from time to time. Below we cover newer and experimental breast imaging tests.

However, there are new tests in development for breast imaging. Many of these are experimental, and it remains to be seen if they will ultimately be included in the sphere of commonly used tests.

Newer and Experimental Breast Imaging Tests

If you’re interested in the types of breast imaging tests that are currently in development, take a look at this review of some of the most recent developments in telemammography.

Abbreviated Breast MRI

This is a newer type of technique that is performed with a standard breast MRI scanner. However, as the name might suggest, fewer images are taken than with a standard breast MRI. Similar to a standard MRI, a contrast material called gadolinium is given through an IV line, and then images are taken.

Abbreviated breast MRI is being considered as a pre-screening test for breast cancer.

Contrast-Enhanced Mammography

This procedure is also known as contrast-enhanced spectral mammography and is a newer test in which a contrast dye that contains iodine is injected into the blood. This is done a few minutes before a mammogram is taken. This contrast can help the X-rays show any abnormal areas in the breasts.

This test may become more widely used should it perform well against a traditional MRI in breast cancer screenings. This is doubly true due to the fact that the test is quicker and less expensive than a traditional MRI.

Elastography

This test is performed as part of an ultrasound exam. It is based on the idea that breast cancer tumors change the shape and texture of the breast tissue that they affect. In this test, the breasts are compressed slightly so that an ultrasound can show how firm a suspicious area is. This test can prove to be useful in telling if an area is cancerous or non-cancerous.

Optical Imaging Tests

This is a type of test that passes light into the breast and then measures the light that returns through the tissues. This type of test does not use radiation and does not require breast compression. Early studies going on now are looking for ways to combine optical imaging with other tests, MRD, Ultrasound, and 3D mammography.

Electrical Impedance Tomography

EIT therapy is based on the idea that breast cancer cells conduct electricity differently than normal cells. For this test, small electrodes are taped to the skin to pass very small currents of electricity through the breasts and then detect them on one’s skin. This test is of curiosity thanks to the fact that it does not use radiation and doesn’t compress the breasts. This test may prove useful in helping to find tumors that are originally found on mammograms.

Nuclear Medicine Tests

Nuclear medicine tests are experimental tests that inject a small amount of radioactive material, which is called a tracer, into the blood. The tracer is more likely to attract and collect cancer cells than normal areas of one’s blood. A special camera can then be used to see the results of the tracer’s collection.

There are different sub-types of Nuclear Medicine Tests.

These include:

• Scintimammography or MBI: This type of test injects a tracer and then tracks the tracer while the breast is compressed. This test is of interest as a follow-up test to breast problem tests. It can help to determine the extent of breast cancer that has already been diagnosed. A drawback is that it does subject patients to radiation exposure, so it will likely not be able to be deployed annually.
• PET scan: In a positron emission tomography scan, a different type of radioactive tracer is injected into the blood. This type of test is used to look for the spread of some advanced estrogen receptor-positive breast cancers.
• PEM imaging: This is a newer type of imaging test of the breast that combines elements of a PET scan and a mammogram. Elements of both procedures are combined in this type of test.

The Breast Imaging Experts of Houston

Breast GYN Imagers of Houston is one of the best resources in Texas for maintaining and observing the health of your breasts. If you’re worried that you have some type of issue with your breasts or are just interested in making sure they’re healthy, contact us today in order to schedule an appointment to discuss our breast imaging services.