Biomedical Engineering Researcher’s Novel Device Could Change Breast Cancer Detection and Treatment

Link to article found here.

Guoqiang Yu, who is an associate Biomedical Engineering professor at the University of Kentucky, has created a prototype for a non-contact probe device that would measure blood flow, oxygenation, and metabolic rates of tumors. The most important application of this device would be to gather information about tumors in breast tissue. Current technology consists of contact probes, which can detect neck tumors. However, these devices do not work on the soft tissue of the breast.

This non-contact probe could help doctors determine the aggressiveness of the cancer, and alter the treatment accordingly. This would allow patients to avoid unnecessarily aggressive treatment options, which would minimize side effects from radiation. The non-contact probe is still in the early stages, but it opens up the possibility of increasing the number of breast cancer survivors. This is important to me because both my grandmothers and one of my mom’s best friend have all been affected by breast cancer. This probe would allow more effective diagnosis and treatment.