Comparison of X-ray-Mammography and Planar UWB Microwave Imaging of the Breast: First Results from a Patient Study.

Dennis Wörtge,Viktor Krozer,Babak Bazrafshan,Clara Park,Frank Hübner,Thomas Vogl,Jochen Moll

doi:10.3390/diagnostics8030054

Dennis Wörtge, Viktor Krozer + Show 5 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics8030054

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Abstract

Hemispherical and cylindrical antenna arrays are widely used in radar-based and tomography-based microwave breast imaging systems. Based on the dielectric contrast between healthy and malignant tissue, a three-dimensional image could be formed to locate the tumor. However, conventional X-ray mammography as the golden standard in breast cancer screening produces two-dimensional breast images so that a comparison between the 3D microwave image and the 2D mammogram could be difficult. In this paper, we present the design and realisation of a UWB breast imaging prototype for the frequency band from 1 to 9 GHz. We present a refined system design in light of the clinical usage by means of a planar scanning and compare microwave images with those obtained by X-ray mammography. Microwave transmission measurements were processed to create a two-dimensional image of the breast that can be compared directly with a two-dimensional mammogram. Preliminary results from a patient study are presented and discussed showing the ability of the proposed system to locate the tumor.

Highlights

Breast cancer had the highest mortality in women in the European Union towards the end of the 1990s and the beginning of the 2000s, and a steady decrease in mortality is reported by Malvezzi et al [1]. This trend could be explained with the implementation of screening programs that enable early breast cancer detection and treatment
Microwave techniques have potential importance for medical diagnosis given by complementary diagnostic information about breast tissues compared to established techniques such as X-ray, ultrasound or MRI [2,3,4,5]
A classification of the available prototype systems for microwave-based diagnostics can be made in terms of the antenna array arrangement that can be either three-dimensional or two-dimensional

Summary

Introduction

Breast cancer had the highest mortality in women in the European Union towards the end of the 1990s and the beginning of the 2000s, and a steady decrease in mortality is reported by Malvezzi et al [1] This trend could be explained with the implementation of screening programs that enable early breast cancer detection and treatment. According to the same authors, breast cancer still has the second highest predicted mortality rate in women with about 92,700 deaths in the European Union in 2018 These numbers show the need to develop and improve medical diagnosis techniques for the detection of breast cancer. A classification of the available prototype systems for microwave-based diagnostics can be made in terms of the antenna array arrangement that can be either three-dimensional (hemisperical or cylindrical) or two-dimensional. Several three-dimensional prototype systems should be Diagnostics 2018, 8, 54; doi:10.3390/diagnostics8030054 www.mdpi.com/journal/diagnostics

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