Nuclear Breast Imaging In Radiology .

Doing a nuclear breast image, some experts say, may increase a woman's risk of developing radiation-induced cancer. A single breast specific gamma imaging (BSGI) or position emission mammography (PEM), which are both forms of nuclear breast imaging, have a lifetime risk of a woman getting radiation cancer then if she were to have annual screenings of mammography starting at age 40. BSGI's and PEM's, which have been approved by the FDA, have been promising in detecting cancer, yet both have an injection of radioactive material to the patient. BSGI by definition means using a high-resolution gamma camera allowing mild compression of the breast, also includes a nuclear radiotracer which gets absorbed more quickly by cancerous cells. In PEM, radioactive material is absorbed by the body to measure metabolic activity and determine presence of disease.