Radiologists now have a new diagnostic tool to find cancers in dense breasts, when mammography is not as effective. Cancers in Dense Breasts Radiologists now have a new diagnostic tool to find cancers in dense breasts, when mammography is not as effective. The test, called sestamibi scintimammography, is a nuclear medicine procedure which involves the intravenous injection of a radioisotope, which is absorbed by the breast tissue. On the other hand, mammography uses standard x-rays to detect breast cancer. The isotope is sensitive to the cancer in the breast and is not impeded by the denseness of the tissue.
Standard mammography has difficulty seeing through the dense tissue.
D.C. The meeting was sponsored by the American College of Radiology. Unfortunately, it is limited and less effective in dense, glandular breasts. Women under 50 are most likely to have more dense breasts, he explains. This new test, which has been approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration, is most useful when a lump is found by the patient or her physician, and mammographic examination results are not conclusive. The nuclear medicine procedure works best with breast tumors a half inch or larger in diameter, according to Dr. Edell.