Investigation of Suspicious Microcalcifications by Magnification View Mammography Method Compared to Digital Zooming Method; a Comparative Clinical Study Publisher



Ayaz D¹ ; Mirfendereski S² Show Affiliations
Source: Iranian Journal of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Infertility Published:2024

Abstract

Introduction: Mammography with magnification and digital zoom are the key methods in detecting suspicious microcalcifications, which help in early detection of breast cancer. This study was conducted with the aim of detecting suspected microcalcifications using magnification mammography compared with the digital zoom method. Methods: In this analytical study, women aged ≥ 40 years and older who referred to Seyed al-Shohada and Beheshti medical centers in Isfahan for routine breast cancer screening between January 2017 and February 2021 were studied using census sampling. The study included the probability of malignancy of lesions, morphology and distribution of microcalcifications, and image quality. The Wilcoxon rank test was used to examine suspicious microcalcifications, the probability of malignancy of lesions, image quality, and the level of confidence between magnification and zoom methods. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was also used to examine the sensitivity and specificity of the zoom method compared to magnification and to examine suspicious microcalcifications. P<0.05 was considered significant. Results: A total of 235 patients and 470 images were examined, and there was no significant difference between the mammography method with magnification and digital zoom in terms of the probability of malignancy of lesions (p=0.51), but a significant difference was observed between these two methods in terms of image quality (p<0.001) and image confidence level (p<0.001). For the probability of malignancy, sensitivity 0.74, specificity 0.98 and area under the curve 0.89, for image quality also, sensitivity 0.84, specificity 0.40, area 0.66, and for confidence level, sensitivity 0.84, specificity 0.40 and area 0.66 were reported. Conclusion: Although the digital zoom method can be used as an alternative to magnification mammography to detect suspicious microcalcifications in patients with breast cancer, the image quality and confidence level of magnification mammography are still higher than the digital zoom method. © 2024, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved.