Spectral assessment of photon counting and integrating detector methods for calcification detection in breast cancer

Abstract

Breast cancer is a significant health issue in Nigeria, with 49% of women aged 36 years and above receiving annual diagnosis. The National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP) in Nigeria promotes early detection through advanced imaging like computed tomography (CT). This study examines spectral decomposition techniques using computer simulations to compare the Integrated Detector and Photon Counting methodologies by analysing the peak contrast of calcifications in breast cancer. A 2D breast phantom was computationally built using in-house software in MATLAB to simulate calcifications. Three experiments were conducted using photon energies in bins of 20 keV, 10 keV, and 5 keV. Results showed that calcification decomposition recorded higher contrasts between 1-100keV. High contrast values were achieved at low energy bins for the photon counting approach, which corresponds to the attenuation of calcification tissues. The photon counting technique demonstrated potential for improving enhanced image contrast visualisation based on percentage peak contrast analyses. The study's findings suggest that optimising photon counting techniques can enhance early breast cancer diagnosis.