Electrical bio-impedance as a promising prognostic alternative in detecting breast cancer: A review

The efficiency of breast cancer diagnosis in the prognostic stage can be said to be still not at par as at the advanced stages of the cancer. By the time the cancer is diagnosed it will be too late for further treatment to halt the spreading of the cancer that consequently leads to fatality. The traditional imaging modalities include ultrasound, Mammography as well as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). All of them have their own boons and prominent banes that urge the need for a new pre-diagnosis method that is economical, safe, non-invasive and causes lesser or almost no physical and mental trauma to users. Among the promising alternatives that fits the aforementioned criteria of a good pre-diagnosis method is the Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT). The electrical bio-impedance technique can be further revised with respect to electrical properties of the human tissue and then extended to the breast tissue so it can be utilized in the early diagnosis of the breast cancer that has been diagnosed in approximately 168 million women worldwide in 2012.