Electron density of normal and pathological breast tissues using a Compton scattering technique.

Compton (incoherently) scattered photons which are directly proportional to the electron density of the scatterer, have been employed in characterising human breast tissues. Gamma ray photons scattered incoherently from normal and pathological breast tissue samples of nine breast cancer patients were measured using a high purity germanium detector and an americium (Am-241) source. The breast tissue samples were obtained from female patients undergoing mastectomy. The samples were examined in freeze dried form and the results were corrected for the reduction in the water content of each tissue type by use of the Mixture Rule. This study is aimed at providing electron density information in support of the introduction of new tissue substitute materials for mammography phantoms.