Molecular Breast Imaging and Digital Breast Tomosynthesis in Screening Patients With Dense Breast Tissue

August 31, 2026 updated by: Mayo Clinic

Density MATTERS [Molecular Breast Imaging (MBI) And Tomosynthesis To Eliminate the ReServoir]

This study compares molecular breast imaging (MBI) and digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) in screening patients with dense breast tissue. Breast imaging may help doctors find breast cancer sooner, when it may be easier to treat. Molecular breast imaging (MBI) uses an injection of a small amount of radioactive material that is taken up in tissues of the body that are actively changing, such as breast cancer. A specialized camera, called a gamma camera, takes pictures of the gamma rays emitted by this material. MBI may detect cancers that are not visible on mammograms. This study may help researchers determine how MBI testing compares to DBT screening.

Study Overview

Detailed Description

This study includes women age 40-75 who are presenting for breast cancer screening and had mammographically dense breasts on their last mammogram. Participants undergo annual DBT and MBI screening for two years. The primary aim for this study is to compare the rate of detection of invasive cancers between DBT alone vs. the combination of DBT with supplemental MBI at the first year of screening.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

3023

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

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

Study Locations

    • Michigan
      • Detroit, Michigan, United States, 48202
        • Henry Ford Hospital
    • Minnesota
      • Rochester, Minnesota, United States, 55905
        • Mayo Clinic in Rochester
    • Ohio
      • Toledo, Ohio, United States, 43623
        • Toledo Clinic Cancer Centers-Toledo
    • Texas
      • Houston, Texas, United States, 77030
        • M D Anderson Cancer Center
    • Wisconsin
      • La Crosse, Wisconsin, United States, 54601
        • Mayo Clinic Health System-Franciscan Healthcare

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

Ages Eligible for Study

40 years to 75 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

Female

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Patient is a consenting female age 40-75 years
  • Patient is scheduled for routine screening DBT
  • Patient is asymptomatic for breast disease
  • Patient had heterogeneously dense or extremely dense breasts on most recent prior mammography examination (Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System [BI-RADS] c or d) within 24 months of enrollment
  • Patient is able to participate fully in all aspects of the study (completing study visits and study data collection)
  • Patient understands and signs the study informed consent
  • Patient anticipates being able to return one year after study enrollment to complete the second round of screening

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patient is currently pregnant or plans to become pregnant during the course of the study
  • Patient is currently lactating
  • Patient has had a prior MBI
  • Patient has had a prior whole breast ultrasound (WBUS) for screening, with either a hand-held ultrasound probe or automated system, within 12 months prior to study enrollment
  • Patient has had a prior breast MRI
  • Patient has had a prior contrast-enhanced mammogram (contrast enhanced spectral mammography [CESM] or contrast-enhanced digital mammography [CEDM])
  • Patient is concurrently participating in any other breast imaging research studies that involve undergoing additional breast imaging tests beyond routine screening with mammography, including but not limited to contrast-enhanced mammography, WBUS, MBI, or contrast-enhanced breast MRI
  • Patient has had a breast biopsy within 3 months prior to study enrollment
  • Patient has had breast surgery within 12 months prior to study enrollment
  • Patient is currently undergoing treatment for breast cancer or planning surgery for a high-risk breast lesion (atypical ductal hyperplasia [ADH], atypical lobular hyperplasia [ALH], lobular carcinoma in situ [LCIS], papilloma, radial scar)
  • Patient is currently taking a chemoprevention agent for breast cancer risk reduction or osteoporosis prevention (tamoxifen, raloxifene, anastrazole, letrozole, exemestane)
  • Patient has a known history of any condition or factor judged by the investigator to preclude participation in the study or which might hinder study adherence

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: Diagnostic
  • Allocation: Non-Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: DBT alone

All participants undergo DBT screening

DBT is standard of care breast screening

Other Names:
  • DBT
  • Digital Breast Tomosynthesis
  • Digital Tomosynthesis of the Breast
  • Digital Tomosynthesis Mammography
Experimental: DBT + MBI

All participants undergo DBT screening + supplemental MBI

DBT is standard of care breast screening

Other Names:
  • DBT
  • Digital Breast Tomosynthesis
  • Digital Tomosynthesis of the Breast
  • Digital Tomosynthesis Mammography

Undergo MBI

Other Names:
  • MBI
  • Breast-Specific Gamma Imaging
  • Miraluma Scan
  • Miraluma Test
  • Molecular Breast Imaging
  • Nuclear Medicine Breast Imaging
  • sestamibi breast imaging
  • Sestamibi Scintimammography

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Rate of Detection of Invasive Cancers
Time Frame: At year 1 screening

Compare the rate of detection of invasive cancers between DBT alone versus (vs.) the combination of digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) with supplemental molecular breast imaging (MBI) at initial (year 1) screening. For each modality, the detection rate of invasive cancers will be estimated as the proportion of participants in the analysis set who had an invasive cancer detected by the modality and verified by pathology.

At year 1 screening

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Carrie B. Hruska, M.D., Mayo Clinic in Rochester

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)

June 14, 2017

Primary Completion (Actual)

June 30, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

June 30, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

July 15, 2017

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 15, 2017

First Posted (Actual)

July 18, 2017

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

September 24, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 31, 2026

Last Verified

August 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 16-008522
  • NCI-2021-12015 (Registry Identifier: CTRP (Clinical Trial Reporting Program))
  • R01CA239200 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

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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