title: Assessment of grating-based X-ray phase-contrast CT for differentiation of invasive ductal carcinoma and ductal carcinoma in situ in an experimental ex vivo set-up.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Limited contrast between healthy and tumour tissue is a limiting factor in mammography and CT of the breast. Phase-contrast computed tomography (PC-CT) provides improved soft-tissue contrast compared with absorption-based techniques. In this study, we assessed the technical feasibility of grating-based PC-CT imaging of the breast for characterisation of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Grating-based PC-CT was performed on one breast specimen containing an invasive ductal carcinoma and DCIS using monochromatic radiation of 23 keV. Phase-contrast and absorption-based images were compared qualitatively and quantitatively with histopathology in a blinded fashion.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Grating-based PC-CT showed improved differentiation of soft-tissue components. Circular structures of high phase-shift contrast corresponding to the walls of the dilated ductuli of the DCIS were visualised with a contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of 9.6 using PC-CT but were not detectable on absorption-based images (CNR = 0.27). The high phase-shift structures of the dilated ductuli were identifiable in the PC-CT volume data set allowing for 3D characterisation of DCIS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results indicate that unlike conventional CT, grating-based PC-CT may allow the differentiation between invasive carcinoma and intraductal carcinoma and healthy breast tissue and provide 3D visualisation of DCIS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Radiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Marchioninistr. 15, 81377 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Anikó
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sztrókay
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Herzen
authors.forename: Sigrid D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Auweter
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liebhardt
authors.forename: Doris
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mayr
authors.forename: Marian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Willner
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hahn
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Zanette
authors.forename: Timm
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Weitkamp
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hellerhoff
authors.forename: Franz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pfeiffer
authors.forename: Maximilian F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Reiser
authors.forename: Fabian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bamberg
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D002285:Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D003287:Contrast Media; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008327:Mammography / Q000379:methods; D008408:Mastectomy / Q000379:methods; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D013048:Specimen Handling; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media