Clinical photoacoustic breast imaging: the Twente experience.

Globally, breast cancer is the most frequently occurring malignancy in women and the leading cause of cancer deaths, with up to half a million women dying of the disease in 2008. Early detection and accurate diagnosis of breast cancer is crucial for optimizing survival chances, with imaging technologies playing a major role. X-ray mammography (XRM) and ultrasound (US) imaging, however, suffer from nonoptimal sensitivity and specificity. Furthermore, X-ray mammography uses ionizing radiation and painful breast compression and has poor performance in dense breasts. For US imaging, interoperator dependence and poor soft tissue contrast are drawbacks.