ABSTRACT
Mammography represents the main imaging modality for early detection of breast cancer. This chapter provides a thorough treatment of the basic physical principles and the technological aspects of X-ray digital mammography. It describes the geometrical specifications of a mammography device and the adaptation of the spectral composition of X-ray beams from the case of general radiology to the one peculiar to mammography. The chapter presents a concise physical description of the interaction between breast tissues and X-rays. It discusses the advanced techniques stemming from digital mammography, like contrast-enhanced digital mammography, dual energy digital mammography, and breast density measurement, focusing on both the promising features and the unresolved issues of these techniques. A mammography device that is employed in a hospital or a breast center is often subjected to heavy workloads that can affect, in the long run, its operating condition.
