Clinical microwave breast imaging — 2D results and the evolution to 3D

The incidence of breast cancer and associated deaths are a recognized world health problem. Conventional screening approaches such as x-ray mammography, ultrasound and increasingly contrast-enhanced MRI are life saving to many women. However, the sensitivity and specificity of these modalities are still limited and there is clearly room for alternatives. Microwave imaging is a potentially important approach in this area because the tissue dielectric properties present important functional information which can be exploited to improve overall sensitivity and specificity in breast imaging. At Dartmouth College, our microwave breast imaging system is currently being used in pilot clinical studies for both tumor diagnosis and for monitoring treatment response during neoadjuvant chemotherapy. These early 2D imaging studies have demonstrated significance with respect to distinguishing tumors from normal tissue in the diagnostic mode and an ability to predict treatment response at a relatively early stage of treatment. The associated innovations and clinical results set a solid foundation as we advance towards full 3D imaging.