Digital mammography—detector considerations and new applications

Digital mammography offers the potential to improve the accuracy of detection and diagnosis of breast cancer. Key elements of the system are the X-ray detector and the display device and software. The design of each of these must be optimized to provide the expected performance of this new imaging technique. In this article, the motivation for digital mammography is briefly reviewed and the technical requirements of the X-ray detection system are discussed with reference to the current technology. Some important future applications of digital mammography are described.