European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine

Abstract

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide, with nearly 1.7 million new cases diagnosed in 2012. This represents about 12% of all new cancer cases and 25% of all cancers in women. The current standard method for detecting non-palpable early stage breast cancer is X-ray mammography. Despite the fact that X-rays provide high-resolution images at low radiation doses, its limitations are well documented. In the U.S., up to 75% of all malignancies identified by X-ray mammography are later found to be benign after biopsies. These false positive conclusions result in unnecessary biopsies, causing considerable distress to the patient and an unnecessary financial burden on the health service. Much more worryingly, up to 15% of all breast cancers present at the time of screening are missed by conventional mammography, often delaying treatment to the point where it’s no longer effective.