New Breast Cancer Early Detection Technology

Breast cancer is the second biggest killer in women. The current way of detecting breast cancer is mammography, which is relatively inaccurate for women under the age of 50. At this age, it is even more important to get an accurate diagnosis because early detection and treatment is what saves lives.

Professor Wu has invented a portable scanner based on radio frequency technology, which is able to show the presences of tumors in seconds. Patients can receive real-time video images, making the procedure quicker and less intrusive. This means that it can be done at smaller clinics as well as in the home and reduce the occurrence of unnecessary X-ray mammography. The radio frequency scanner uses computer tomography and uses the same technology as a cell phone. It is safe and low cost, as well as compact and therefore portable. The scanner works based on dielectric contrasts between normal and diseased breast tissues. The presence of a tumor or abnormality will show up in red as the sensor detects the difference in tissue contrasts. Malignant tissues have a higher permittivity and conductivity and therefore appear differently than normal ones.

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month. This article interested me because my mom is breast cancer survivor, and early detection had a huge part in that.

Aubrey Hildebrandt

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/206060.php