For the study, which is part of the five-year Alternative Breast Imaging Project funded by a grant from the National Cancer Institute, researchers at Dartmouth Medical School in Lebanon, N.H., imaged the breasts of 23 women using a combination of three new techniques:
The new imaging techniques use low-frequency electrical currents, microwaves and infrared light, respectively, to create a computerized image of a cross-section of breast tissue. Each technology can identify various properties, including the amount of oxygenated blood flow in the breast and how the tissue absorbs light and stores and conducts an electrical charge. These properties help researchers estimate specific breast characteristics, which differ in normal and diseased tissue.
"This study was the first stepping stone in our ongoing research to gain a better understanding of the electromagnetic properties of breast tissue," said Steven Poplack, M.D., professor of radiology at Dartmouth Medical School and co-director of breast imaging and mammography at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. "Once we establish normal ranges for specific breast characteristics, we'll begin working on recognizing breast abnormalities, including cancer."
The research team is exploring alternative breast imaging techniques to address some of the limitations of mammography, a diagnostic exam recommended for women over age 40 as a screening for breast cancer.
"If we can offer an alternative screening technique that addresses radiation concerns and is also more comfortable, the hope is
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Contact: Maureen Morley
mmorley@rsna.org
630-590-7754
Radiological Society of North America
3-May-2004