Surreal illustration of a woman merging with medical imaging scans and a blooming flower, symbolizing breast cancer imaging and hope.

Decoding Breast Cancer Imaging: A Patient's Guide to Understanding Your Options

Theo Raines in Health & Wellness December 2025 • 4 min read.

"Navigating the world of mammograms, MRIs, and PET scans can feel overwhelming. This guide breaks down the key imaging technologies used in breast cancer diagnosis, helping you make informed decisions about your health."

Breast cancer remains a significant health concern for women, even with the latest progress in detection and treatment. In 2010, over 200,000 women were diagnosed with breast cancer, and almost 40,000 lost their lives to it. While death rates have fortunately decreased, breast cancer continues to be a leading cause of mortality for women. Early and accurate imaging remains essential for diagnosis and assessment.

Imaging technologies, like mammography, ultrasonography and MRI, are used to diagnose and asses breast cancer's extent. Ongoing upgrades are improving the ability to detect breast tumors. Despite this, imaging advancements have led to increased mastectomy rates and treatment delays. Use of clinical imaging has increased, which has greatly increased healthcare costs.

It's important to understand that the FDA approval pathway for imaging technologies differs from that of new drugs. Imaging manufacturers are not usually required to show the long-term effects of imaging on patient outcomes. Comparative effectiveness research (CER) is a useful way to determine whether imaging methods help to improve patient outcomes.

Understanding the Key Imaging Technologies for Breast Cancer

Surreal illustration of a woman merging with medical imaging scans and a blooming flower, symbolizing breast cancer imaging and hope.

Several imaging technologies are essential for detecting and staging breast cancer. The milestones of each modality include appearance in peer-reviewed literature, FDA approval, CMS reimbursement, and NCCN guidelines. Let's take a closer look at the common methods:

Mammography is the first imaging test used for women who have positive screening mammograms or signs of breast cancer such as palpable breast lumps, nipple discharge or skin changes. Diagnostic mammography usually includes online review of images and physical examinations. A randomized control trial in 1973, showed a 33% reduction in breast cancer mortality for women screened with mammography and helped this modality achieve widespread clinical acceptance.

Full Field Digital Mammography (FFDM): FFDM utilizes digital detectors rather than x-ray film to improve film-based radiology.
Mammography CAD: Uses image processing and computer vision to augment a human reader's ability to detect breast lesions.

CMS has covered diagnostic mammography since May 1978. Guidelines published by the NCCN have recommended diagnostic mammography for local breast staging for breast cancer since 1996. Other technologies exist, like Ultrasonography, MRI, CT, and PET.

The Future of Breast Cancer Imaging

Diagnostic imaging technologies in breast cancer has made achievements, but long-term effects on breast cancer patients is limited. More study of imaging technologies could reduce recurrence rates, increase survival time and reduce costs. In order to ensure the most effective imaging technologies reach or remain in clinical practice, CER will play a critical role.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.1102/1470-7330.2012.0003, Alternate LINK

Title: The Emergence Of Diagnostic Imaging Technologies In Breast Cancer: Discovery, Regulatory Approval, Reimbursement, And Adoption In Clinical Guidelines

Subject: Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and imaging

Journal: Cancer Imaging

Publisher: E-MED LTD

Authors: Laura S. Gold, Gregory Klein, Lauren Carr, Larry Kessler, Sean D. Sullivan

Published: 2012-01-01

Everything You Need To Know

What is mammography, and how is it used in breast cancer diagnosis?

Mammography is the first imaging test for women with signs of breast cancer. Full Field Digital Mammography (FFDM) uses digital detectors. Mammography CAD uses image processing to detect breast lesions. Diagnostic mammography is recommended by the NCCN for local breast staging since 1996, and CMS has covered it since May 1978. The randomized control trial in 1973 showed a 33% reduction in breast cancer mortality for women screened with mammography.

Which imaging technologies are used to detect breast cancer, and why are they important?

Several imaging technologies are crucial in finding and determining the stage of breast cancer. These technologies, including mammography, ultrasonography, and MRI, are used in the diagnosis and assessment of breast cancer. Ongoing improvements are boosting the capacity to find tumors. It's important to understand the FDA approval pathway for imaging technologies differs from that of new drugs. Imaging manufacturers are not usually required to show the long-term effects of imaging on patient outcomes. Therefore, it is important to focus on the benefits versus risks of the imaging modalities.

What are some of the drawbacks associated with advances in breast cancer imaging?

While advancements in breast cancer imaging have led to improvements in detection, they've also contributed to increased mastectomy rates and treatment delays. Additionally, the increased use of clinical imaging has increased healthcare costs. The benefits need to be balanced against the risks and costs involved. These are important considerations when choosing the best imaging method for each patient's needs.

How does FDA approval for imaging technologies differ from new drugs, and why is that important?

The FDA approval process for imaging technologies differs from that of new drugs. Imaging manufacturers typically are not required to demonstrate long-term impacts on patient outcomes. This is why Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER) is so important, as it helps to determine whether imaging methods actually improve patient outcomes. CER allows for the critical analysis of different imaging techniques. The insights from CER can help determine if an imaging technology is useful and if it is improving patient outcomes.

Why is it important for patients to understand their breast cancer imaging options?

Understanding these imaging options is very important for patients. Mammography is the initial imaging test for women with symptoms. Other important technologies include ultrasonography and MRI. It's essential to be informed about these options so that you can make the right health choices. Consulting with your healthcare team is essential to have all the information you need to make the most informed decision for your situation.