Technical feasibility of breast cancer screening using ultrasound propagation velocity

K. Ma; A. Fenster

doi:10.1117/12.772428

18 March 2008 Technical feasibility of breast cancer screening using ultrasound propagation velocity

K. Ma, A. Fenster

Proceedings Volume 6913, Medical Imaging 2008: Physics of Medical Imaging; 691306 (2008) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.772428
Event: Medical Imaging, 2008, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

Both mammography and ultrasound imaging have sub-optimal sensitivity for the detection of solid breast lesions. We investigate the feasibility of detecting occult solid breast lesions using ultrasound propagation velocity differences between malignant lesions and surrounding breast tissue in a phantom study using 3D ultrasound. In this technique, the breast is placed on a flat backplate and imaged using a 3D ultrasound system. The backplate serves as a reference plane in the resulting 3D image. The difference in ultrasound propagation velocity through solid lesions versus surrounding breast tissue produces a shift in the apparent elevation of the backplate in the resulting image. Visible backplate distortion may therefore indicate the presence of an occult solid breast lesion. We provide a mathematical model to predict backplate distortion as a function of lesion thickness, and validate this theory experimentally using multi-compartment agar phantoms with embedded lesions ranging from 2 mm to 16 mm in thickness. Two-dimensional backplate elevation maps were constructed, and visible backplate distortions were observed for lesions of thickness 4 mm and greater. Measured backplate distortions were in excellent agreement with our theoretical predictions for these lesions. This study suggests that ultrasound propagation velocity differences between solid lesions and surrounding tissue may be useful as an additional screening tool for detection and localization of otherwise occult solid breast lesions.

Citation Download Citation

K. Ma and A. Fenster "Technical feasibility of breast cancer screening using ultrasound propagation velocity", Proc. SPIE 6913, Medical Imaging 2008: Physics of Medical Imaging, 691306 (18 March 2008); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.772428

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