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BSGI is a new imaging technique -
breast-specific gamma imaging (BSGI) - is a unique tool that can more accurately determine if an area
of concern is cancerous or not.
BSGI is best used as a valuable "next step"
following a mammogram that reveals an area of
concern.
A mammogram is an X-ray study of the
breast used to image tissue structure and
density. If you are scheduled for additional
testing, your mammogram may have been difficult
to interpret due to some specific
characteristics of your breast tissue. For
example, dense breast tissue is displayed on a
mammogram as thick white areas. Abnormalities in
breast tissue are displayed as white or light
areas. Because the two often display as the same
density and structure, it may be difficult to
locate masses. Gamma imaging provides the needed
capability of helping differentiate cancer from
other structures or benign tissue in the breast.
How does BSGI work?
Because cancerous cells have a higher rate of metabolic
activity, the tracing agent usually concentrates in
these cells (if present) to a much greater degree than
in normal cells. The tracing agent emits invisible rays,
which the gamma imaging system is able to transmit to
images like the one pictured on the left. |
Mammogram
