Modeling light propagation in a reconstructed breast model using the Monte Carlo method

Abstract

Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer that causes the highest death among women. One of the main aspects of effectively monitoring the effectiveness of breast cancer treatment is the early detection of abnormalities in breast tissue. It is one of the most critical factors that may determine how well breast cancer therapy is carried out. On the other hand, the techniques used in breast diagnostics today have several limitations, including the hazards connected with radiation exposure, the high price, and the likelihood of creating false-positive results. Therefore, optical techniques are considered feasible strategies for the early diagnosis of breast abnormalities. The optical-based technique has been studied to develop self-diagnostic aids and high-tech devices such as optical tomography. The recent development of therapeutic applications using low-power light also creates a new direction in treating benign tumors through photobiological effects. Therefore, much more research must be conducted to understand how light interacts with breast tissue for developing the diagnosis device and treatment device. In this study, light interaction with tissue was investigated by simulating light propagation at wavelengths of 650 nm, 800 nm, and 950 nm in a breast model that was generated using an MRI data collection. Specifically, the tissue's absorption of these three wavelengths was evaluated to understand better how light interacts with breast tissue. The results of the simulation show that normal breast models and sick breast models have significantly different total quantities of energy absorbed, and these results indicate this discrepancy. The distribution map acquired correlates with the image obtained using optical transillumination imaging. The simulation results can steer further research toward developing a novel breast diagnostics methodology based on optical approaches.