Role of Contrast-Enhanced Spectral Mammography in the detection of breast cancer

Abstract

Objective: to assess the benefits of using contrast-enhancer spectral mammography in patients with an established category of BI-RADS 4a, 4b according to the results of a standard examination (digital mammography and ultrasound). Materials and methods. The date of 425 patients with a suspicious category of BI-RADS in the period from 2018 to 2021 were analyzed. As part of the additional examination, all patients underwent contrast-enhanced spectral mammography follow by histological verification of the identified changes. The sensitivity and specificity of the methods were evaluated. Results. The final diagnosis of breast cancer was established in 247 (58.1%) patients out of 425 women. Multicenter and multifocal growth was diagnosed in 17 (6.8%) patients out of 247, and primary multiple synchronous cancer was detected in 6 (2.4%) patients out of 247. False-positive cases when assessing CESM mainly consisted of: typical and atypical ductal hyperplasia, fibroadenoma, intraductal papilloma. Conclusion. Contrast-enhancer spectral mammography is a highly sensitive and highly specific method in the detection of malignant tumors of the breast. The method also allows minimizing the number of unwanted interventions in suspicious BI-RADS categories.