New invention to diagnose breast cancer
Surgeons, physical scientists and
computer
specialists at the University of Dundee have just made a major
breakthrough
which will allow GPs to scan women for breast cancer in minutes in
their
local surgery. The new hand held instrument enables the detection of
early
subclinical breast lesion without the use of damaging x-rays and is
inexpensive
to manufacture and use.
The new technique, which the group
have
named Sonoelastographic Breast Imaging (SBI), has been developed by
Professor
Sir Alfred Cuschieri and his Technology Research Group in the
Department
of Surgery and Molecular Oncology, together with computer scientists
from
the Division of Applied Computing.
The system uses ultrasound imaging
combined
with vibration to detect breast lesions at an early stage and works
because
these cancers are stiffer than the surrounding normal breast tissue.
Initially,
the team demonstrated that this unique imaging system works on
realistic
breast models. Now, early human cancers, which are too small for the
surgeon
to feel, have been detected by the system the world's first Doppler
power
based sonoelastographic image of early breast cancer. The team is now
refining
the technique prior to commercial exploitation of the technology
followed
by large-scale clinical evaluation.
Professor Ian Ricketts, Head of the
Division
of Applied Computing explains: "We are now able to detect tumours by
Sonoelastographic
Breast Imaging rather than X-rays. Tumours are typically stiffer than
normal
tissue and therefore move differently when vibrated. Scanning the
tissue,
while applying an external source of vibration means the differences in
movement
can be detected and the potential tumour highlighted."
The most significant advance in the
technology
is the facility to scan for cancer without using damaging x-radiation.
Professor
Sir Alfred Cuschieri explains: "Our discovery clears the way for cancer
screening without exposing women to radiation. Traditional x-ray based
breast imaging
(mammography) requires expensive equipment in specialised clinics or
dedicated
mobile screening vans and delivers a small but definite radiation dose
to
the breast. This limits the number of mammograms than can be performed
in
each adult female as part of the breast cancer screening process.
The speed with which we can scan
women
for cancer with the new system is a great advance. Instead of waiting
for
an x-ray scan appointment, leaving the clinic and waiting tentatively
at
home for the diagnosis, results can be obtained in minutes by a
portable
system that may be located outside Radiology Departments, e.g.,
outpatient
clinics, GP Health Practices etc."
Dr Tim Frank, a senior physicist
researcher
in the Technology Group: "This new technique is not restricted to
breast
cancer. Over the next few years, hopefully with the right level of
grant
support, we will be looking at using it to detect liver cancer and
others."
