Abstract

PURPOSE: To explore the optical and physiologic properties of normal and lesion-bearing breasts by using a combined optical and digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) imaging system.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Institutional review board approval and patient informed consent were obtained for this HIPAA-compliant study. Combined optical and tomosynthesis imaging analysis was performed in 189 breasts from 125 subjects (mean age, 56 years ± 13 [standard deviation]), including 138 breasts with negative findings and 51 breasts with lesions. Three-dimensional (3D) maps of total hemoglobin concentration (Hb(T)), oxygen saturation (So(2)), and tissue reduced scattering coefficients were interpreted by using the coregistered DBT images. Paired and unpaired t tests were performed between various tissue types to identify significant differences.
RESULTS: The estimated average bulk Hb(T) from 138 normal breasts was 19.2 μmol/L. The corresponding mean So(2) was 0.73, within the range of values in the literature. A linear correlation (R = 0.57, P CONCLUSION: The optical and DBT images were structurally consistent. The malignant tumors and benign lesions demonstrated different Hb(T) and scattering contrasts, which can potentially be exploited to reduce the false-positive rate of conventional mammography and unnecessary biopsies.