Mammography is the most common method for early detection of
breast cancer. However, in dense breasts the method may be not produce accurate
result.
Caltech engineers have developed a new technology that may
have the potential to replace mammographies for detecting cancer lesions. The
system called photoacoustic computed tomography (PACT) sends near-infrared
laser light into breast tissue and detectors are used to spot ultrasonic waves
that return. Light is absorbed unevenly by hemoglobin making their signal
stronger and more visible to the detector. Since most of the hemoglobin is present
within blood vessels, outline of the local vasculature is shown in the scan.
As tumors are highly vascularized, the presenceof lots of vessels surrounding a lesion strongly suggests the presence of
cancer. The system is capable of resolving objects as small as a quarter of a
millimeter at a tissue depth of 4 centimeters.
PACT requires only 15 seconds to scan a breast and doesn’t
expose the patient to any dangerous radiation.
The system now needs extensive before being introduced as a commonly
used modality in clinical practice. Hopefully soon, though, women will be able
to avoid unnecessary biopsies, painful breast compressions and too many false
positives that’s often seen during conventional breast cancer diagnosis.
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