HMN 2025: How Adding molecular breast imaging to digital breast tomosynthesis beneficial for dense breasts

For women with dense breasts, the addition of molecular breast imaging (MBI) as a supplement to digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) increases overall and invasive cancer detection, according to a study published online Sept. 23 in Radiology.

Carrie B. Hruska, Ph.D., from Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and colleagues examined the performance of MBI as a supplement to DBT in 2,978 women with dense breasts in a prospective, multicenter trial. Participants underwent two annual screening rounds of DBT and MBI to assess the incremental cancer detection rate (CDR; cancers per 1,000 screenings) of supplemental MBI.

The researchers found that the CDR was 5.0% and 11.8% with DBT and DBT plus prevalence screening MBI, respectively (incremental CDR, 6.7%), at year 1; the corresponding invasive CDR was 3.0% and 7.7%, respectively (invasive incremental CDR, 4.7%). At year 2, the CDR was 5.8% and 9.3% with DBT and DBT plus incidence screening MBI, respectively (incremental CDR, 3.5%), and invasive CDR was 1.5% and 3.9% with DBT and DBT plus incidence screening MBI, respectively (invasive incremental CDR, 2.3%).

The one-year recall rate was 8.6% and 17.9% with DBT and DBT plus prevalence screening MBI, respectively; at two years, the recall rates were 8.9% and 13.8% with DBT and DBT plus incidence screening MBI, respectively. Overall, 29 individuals had cancer detected only with MBI: 72% had invasive cancers, 90% had node-negative cancers, and 20% had advanced cancers.

“DBT doesn’t find all cancers, and women need to understand its limitations and consider how supplemental screening can fill the gap,” Hruska said in a statement.

Several authors disclosed ties to CMR Naviscan.

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