The imaging of breast cancer has undergone significant progression in recent years. A multimodality approach is often required, with ongoing developments in mammography, ultrasound, magnetic resonance and nuclear medicine all contributing to breast cancer imaging. Here we review the literature to assess how advances in well-established technologies, such as mammography, have brought added benefits both in terms of diagnostic and practical benefits, as well as allowing the application of derived technologies, such as tomosynthesis and contrast-enhanced mammography. We consider how these newer technologies may fit into clinical practice, both in terms of general population screening as well as use as problem solving tools in specific patient groups, and where the limitations for these may lie. We aim to highlight some of the promising advances in imaging that are still in earlier stages, such as magnetic resonance elastography, as well as reviewing techniques that are already becoming incorporated into clinical practice.