An Investigation of Slot-scanning for Mammography and Breast CT.

Mammography and breast CT are important tools for breast cancer screening and diagnosis. Current implementations are limited by scattered radiation and/or spatial resolution. In this work, we propose and develop a slot scan-based system to be used in both mammography and CT mode that can limit scatter and collect sparse CT data for improved image quality at low radiation exposures. Monte Carlo simulations of an anthropomorphic breast phantom show a factor of 10 reduction in scattering amplitude with our slot scan-based system compared to that of a full-field detector mammography system (area mode). Similarly, slot-scan improved the MTF (particularly the low-frequency response) compared to an area detector. Investigation of sparse CT sampling with doubly sparse acquisition data return better quality reconstruction, for which our slot-scanning system is capable, over angle-only projection. Thus, a system with the combined ability for slot-scanning mammography and slot-scanning breast CT has the potential to deliver improved dose-efficient imaging performance and become viable breast cancer screening and diagnostic tools.

Comparison of human papilloma virus testing and spectroscopy combined with cervical cytology for the detection of high-grade cervical neoplasia.

OBJECTIVE: This study compared the performance of cervical cytology plus human papilloma virus testing (Pap + HPV) or cervical spectroscopy (Pap + CS) for identifying high-grade cervical neoplasia in a high-risk population of women referred for colposcopy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Each of 113 subjects underwent spectroscopy, thin-layer cytology, HPV testing, colposcopy, biopsy when indicated, and/or endocervical curettage. Evaluable data for analysis were collected for 102 of the subjects. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated for both strategies. RESULTS: Pap + HPV and Pap + CS achieved equivalent sensitivities (95%) for high-grade lesions, with both detecting 17 of 18 histology confirmed cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 2+ lesions. Pap + HPV had a specificity of only 27.4% compared with 65.5% for Pap + CS (p < .0001). CONCLUSIONS: Spectroscopic interrogation of the cervix is equally sensitive and 2-fold more specific than HPV testing when combined with cervical cytology for identifying high-grade cervical neoplasia.

Spectroscopic imaging as a triage test for cervical disease: a prospective multicenter clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to evaluate the potential safety and effectiveness of tissue spectroscopy for the diagnosis of cervical cancer in a prospective multicenter study of women scheduled for colposcopy on the basis of an abnormal Pap test or other risk factor. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Five hundred seventy-two women underwent spectroscopy of the cervix during their colposcopy visit. Spectroscopy measurements taken over a scan period of 4 minutes and 30 seconds were integrated by a cross-validated pattern recognition model and compared with biopsy results to yield sensitivity and specificity of cervical spectroscopy. RESULTS: The median age of subjects enrolled in the study was 27.7 years. The sensitivity of cervical spectroscopy was 95.1% with a corresponding 55.2% specificity for benign lesions. Several potential confounding factors (eg, mucous, blood, patient motion, ambient light) were examined to determine their potential impact on the accuracy of the test. Ambient light seemed to have the greatest effect, but no single factor contributed significantly to the results. The subjects did not experience any adverse events from undergoing the test. CONCLUSIONS: Spectroscopy of the cervix has the potential to accurately detect cervical moderate and high-grade dysplasia while also reducing the false-positive rate for benign cervices. The test is relatively simple to implement and was well accepted by subjects enrolled in the study.