Screening Contrast-Enhanced Mammography as an Alternative to MRI (SCEMAM)

April 28, 2026 updated by: Wendie Berg
There are women for whom a screening breast MRI is clinically recommended, but not feasible either due to patient factors (body habitus, pacemaker or other implant, claustrophobia) or access (cost, other constraints). Contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM) is a potential alternative to MRI for screening that uses updated standard mammography equipment to obtain low- and high-energy images after intravenous injection of iodinated contrast (as used in CT scanning). The investigators seek to validate screening CEM as an alternative to screening MRI.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

This is a prospective study designed to evaluate the role of contrast enhanced mammography (CEM) in screening for breast cancer. The overarching goal of the research program is to improve cancer detection on screening, particularly in women with dense breasts. MRI depicts more cancers than other screening methods, including ultrasound. MRI is proven to both improve cancer detection and reduce clinically detected cancers ("interval cancers") after a negative screening mammogram in women with dense breasts. PA Senate Bill 595, signed into law June 30, 2020, requires insurance carriers to provide coverage for supplemental screening with MRI or ultrasound for a variety of indications. Relative to the number of women who may benefit from screening MRI, there is a shortage of equipment/capacity. Further, nearly half of women cannot have an MRI for medical or other reasons, such as claustrophobia, implanted devices, body habitus, or cost (deductible and copay apply even with the new legislation). Contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM) appears to have similar performance to MRI but has not been widely validated, particularly for screening. In order to lay the foundation for improved screening of women with dense breasts, the investigators seek to offer screening CEM as an alternative to MRI for women who meet guidelines for screening MRI but are unable to have MRI.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
615

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Phase 4

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Pennsylvania
      • Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania, United States, 16066
        • UPMC Magee at the Lemieux Sports Complex
      • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, 15213
        • Magee-Womens Hospital
      • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, 15146
        • UPMC Magee Monroeville Breast Care Center

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

30 years to 75 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Asymptomatic women under age 75 who are recommended for annual screening MRI and mammography based on current criteria:

    1. Women known to be at high risk for breast cancer because of known or suspected pathogenic mutation, prior chest radiation therapy at least 8 years earlier and before age 30, or estimated lifetime risk of at least 20% based on family history/prior biopsy history (22), between age 30 and 75.
    2. Women with extremely dense breasts age 40-75 (about 7% of the screening population (1)) (12).
  2. Women with lobular carcinoma in situ (1% of women biopsied each year; about 0.06% of our screening population) beginning the year after diagnosis.
  3. Women with a personal history of breast cancer diagnosed by age 50 or with dense breasts (21), beginning the year after diagnosis (will be recruited under separate ongoing TOCEM protocol).
  4. Women with heterogeneously dense breasts and any family history of breast cancer (about 36% of the screening population has dense breasts and about 20% have a family history of breast cancer) who do not meet current high-risk criteria, beginning at age 40 or ten years prior to the age of the youngest relative but not before age 30.

Participants are expected to have medical or other reasons that they are not able to have screening breast MRI.

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Under age 30 or over age 75.
  2. Pregnant or breast feeding.
  3. Breast implants.
  4. Breast surgery within the prior 12 months.
  5. Breast signs or symptoms (lump, nipple discharge, nipple retraction, or being followed for breast abnormality on prior imaging).
  6. Currently undergoing any type of systemic chemotherapy for cancer (excludes oral endocrine therapy such as aromatase inhibitors or tamoxifen).
  7. Reduced kidney function with eGFR < 45 mL/min.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Screening
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Contrast-enhanced mammography
Women who meet criteria for supplemental screening MRI, but who are unable to have MRI for medical/access/cost reasons, will be invited to have screening with contrast-enhanced mammography. Women will also have standard-of-care mammography/tomosynthesis per usual clinical practice.
Device: Contrast-enhanced mammography
supplemental breast cancer screening with contrast-enhanced mammography
Drug: Iodinated Contrast Media (ICM)
supplemental breast cancer screening with contrast-enhanced mammography

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Cancer Detection Rate (CDR) Per 1,000 Screenings
Time Frame: 1.5 years
Cancer detection rate per 1,000 screenings with CEM compared to standard mammography/tomosynthesis (DBT) alone. Interpretation and performance outcomes from the primary reader were compared between standard-of-care DBT examinations interpreted alone and DBT examinations interpreted with the addition of CEM.
1.5 years

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
False Positive Recall Rates
Time Frame: 1.5 years
To assess changes in false positive recall rates from CEM. DBT false-positive findings for primary observer (usual care) vs DBT and CEM false positive findings for primary observer
1.5 years
Biopsy Rate
Time Frame: 1.5 years
To assess changes in the biopsy rate after the addition of CEM. DBT biopsy rate for primary observer (usual care) vs DBT and CEM biopsy rate for primary observer.
1.5 years
Positive Predictive Value of Recall (PPV1)
Time Frame: 1.5 years
To assess changes in positive predictive value of recall (PPV1) after the addition of CEM. DBT PPV1for primary observer (usual care) vs DBT and CEM PPV1 for primary observer.
1.5 years

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Wendie Berg

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
PA Breast Cancer Coalition

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Wendie Berg, MD, PhD, University of Pittsburgh

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
February 15, 2021

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
May 30, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
May 30, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
February 17, 2021

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
February 17, 2021

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
February 21, 2021

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
May 22, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 28, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • STUDY20110029

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

Images may be shared with secondary investigators, including commercial companies after removal of all identifiers. All patient identification (name, patient number, birth date) will be removed from the DICOM headers of the images.

IPD Sharing Time Frame

after publication

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

secondary investigators for image analysis. Sharing via Box

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

Yes

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

Yes

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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