Diagnostic performance of phase-contrast computed tomography versus digital mammography: A pilot study

Abstract

Introduction: Digital mammography (DM) remains the standard for breast cancer screening, but its diagnostic limitations and the discomfort associated with breast compression motivate exploration of alternative imaging technologies. This retrospective pilot study assessed the diagnostic performance of x-ray propagation-based phase-contrast computed tomography (PB-CT) compared with DM at comparable radiation doses and generated parameter estimates to inform the design of future powered diagnostic studies. Methods: Pre-excision screening DM and post-excision breast mastectomy PB-CT images from 30 patients were evaluated. The dataset included malignant, benign, and normal findings. Ten breast ra..