Molecular Breast Imaging

Overview

Molecular breast imaging (MBI) is a nuclear medicine technique to detect breast cancer for women with higher-than-average risk for the disease or have dense breasts. MBI uses a radioactive tracer to illuminate any areas with breast cancer. A breast surgeon injects the tracer into the body through a vein in the arm. A nuclear medicine camera then scans the breast for areas with radioactive substance concentration.

MBI is especially useful for detecting tumors that are hard to spot on mammograms, such as cancers in patients with dense breasts. While MBI finds some breast cancer tumors better than mammography, MBI also involves much more radiation. Mammography remains the preferred screening method for women at average risk for breast cancer who do not have dense breasts.