A method for 3D electron density imaging using single scattered x-rays with application to mammographic screening.

Screening mammography is the current standard in detecting breast cancer. However, its fundamental disadvantage is that it projects a 3D object into a 2D image. Small lesions are difficult to detect when superimposed over layers of normal, heterogeneous tissue. In this work, we examine the potential of single scattered photon electron density imaging in a mammographic environment. Simulating a low-energy (<20 keV) scanning pencil beam, we have developed an algorithm capable of producing 3D electron density images from a single projection. We have tested the algorithm by imaging parts of a simulated mammographic accreditation phantom containing lesions of various sizes. The results indicate that the group of imaged lesions differ significantly from background breast tissue (p<0.005), confirming that electron density imaging may be a useful diagnostic test for the presence of breast cancer.