Preface

Early detection of breast cancer combined with targeted therapy offers the best outcome for breast cancer patients. The development of low-dose screen-film mammography made the early detection of breast cancer a reality. This technology was successfully implemented in the population-based screening trials, which proved that the early detection of breast cancer through mammography screening can prevent at least 40% of the deaths from breast cancer in participating women. Additionally, these smaller and less advanced cancers do not need as extensive therapy as the larger, palpable cancers.

The heterogeneity of benign and malignant breast diseases has necessitated the development of supplementary imaging methods for their improved detection and differential diagnosis. The optimum preoperative diagnosis and mapping of the full disease extent has become an important prerequisite for adequate management of the disease. This volume deal with a wide range of new technical innovations for improving breast cancer detection, diagnosis and therapy. There is a special focus on improvements in mammographic image quality, image analysis, magnetic resonance imaging of the breast and molecular imaging. A chapter on targeted therapy explores the option of less radical postoperative therapy for women with early, screen-detected breast cancers.

> **Laszlo Tabar, M.D., F.A.C.R.**  Department of Mammography Falun Central Hospital Falun, Sweden

**Part 1** 

**New, Innovative Breast Imaging Modalities** 
