Molecular Breast Imaging (MBI) and Breast Specific Gamma Imaging (BSGI) are breast imaging tests that use a small amount of radioactive material. These tests can find cancers hidden within dense breast tissue on a mammogram, but they are not usually recommended for breast cancer screening outside of research studies.
The radiation from MBI and BSGI is to the whole body, which is not like a mammogram, where only the breasts receive radiation (in a very small amount), and not like an Ultrasound or MRI, where there is no ionizing radiation at all.
MBI and BSGI are not used in women who are pregnant.
For more information about MBI, click here.
Learn More:
- 5 Facts Every Woman Should Know
- Video Series: Let’s Talk About Dense Breasts
- Patient Risk Checklist (print)
- Patient Questions and Answers
References
1. Rhodes DJ, Hruska CB, Conners AL, et al. JOURNAL CLUB: Molecular breast imaging at reduced radiation dose for supplemental screening in mammographically dense breasts. AJR Am J Roentgenol 2015; 204:241-251