Contrast Enhanced Mammography

Contrast enhanced mammography (CEM) is a specialised type of breast imaging used to look for areas of increased blood flow within the breast, which can sometimes indicate cancer. It is often used when a mammogram or ultrasound needs further clarification, or in women who are at higher risk of breast cancer.

Before the images are taken, a small amount of iodinated contrast dye is injected into a vein in your arm. This contrast travels through the bloodstream and highlights areas in the breast where there is increased blood supply. Cancers often develop new blood vessels as they grow, so these areas can appear more clearly on the images.

The imaging part of the examination is performed in a similar way to a standard mammogram. The breast is placed on the mammography plate and gently compressed while images are taken from different angles. Special low- and high-energy X-ray images are then combined by a computer to highlight areas where the contrast has accumulated.

The procedure usually takes about 10–15 minutes once the contrast has been given. Some people may feel a brief warm sensation from the injection, but most tolerate the test very well.

Compared with standard mammography, contrast enhanced mammography can make certain cancers easier to see because it highlights areas of abnormal blood flow rather than relying only on changes in breast structure. This can improve detection, particularly in women with dense breast tissue, and may reduce the need for additional tests. In some situations, it can also provide information similar to a breast MRI but with a quicker and simpler examination.

Overall, contrast enhanced mammography provides both the structural detail of a mammogram and the functional information from contrast enhancement, helping doctors assess breast abnormalities more accurately.

In a quiet room where gentle machines softly wait,
A careful test begins to investigate.
Contrast enhanced mammography helps reveal
What hidden changes breast tissue may conceal.

A small injection in the arm begins the way,
A contrast dye that slowly drifts and flows away.
Through tiny vessels winding, soft and bright,
It highlights places drawing blood and light.

Then, like the mammogram you may know well,
The breast is placed so images can tell.
A gentle compression holds the tissue still,
Just for a moment, steadying the view with skill.

The camera moves and gathers every view,
From different angles capturing what’s true.
A computer layers each image with care,
Showing where contrast quietly gathers there.

Where standard mammograms show form alone,
This test can reveal where blood flow has grown.
As cancers often build new vessels as they grow,
Those brighter areas help the radiologist know.

For women whose breast tissue may be dense and tight,
This deeper look can bring findings into light.
It may reduce the need for further tests one day,
Or bring clearer answers sooner on the way.

So in this test of contrast, form, and light,
Hidden details gently come into sight.

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