However, whether the technique can be used for breast cancer screening in the future is still to be determined. The only study conducted using phase-contrast mammography in a screening setting did not show that there were any noteworthy benefits regarding sensitivity and recall rate.

But it could be used as an additional option when the diagnosis is unclear for certain scenarios such as for women with dense breasts.


In addition to breast cancer, phase-contrast imaging can be used to stage tumors for oseophagus carcinoma and diagnose focal liver lesions and lung diseases. Researchers at the Helmholtz Center in Munich, the University Hospital of Munich and the Technical University of Munch have recently tested phase-contrast radiography in vivo for the diagnosis of lung diseases for the first time and they found that it can be used to detect diseases early on, such as pulmonary emphysema.

Going forward they are going to evaluate how it can be used in the clinical field to diagnose pulmonary emphysema and lung fibrosis.

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