Abstract
SAFE (Scan and Find Early) is a novel microwave imaging device intended for breast cancer screening and early detection. SAFE is based on the use of harmless electromagnetic waves and can provide relevant initial diagnostic information without resorting to X-rays. Because of SAFE’s harmless effect on organic tissue, imaging can be performed repeatedly. In addition, the scanning process itself is not painful since breast compression is not required. Because of the absence of physical compression, SAFE can also detect tumors that are close to the thoracic wall. A total number of 115 patients underwent the SAFE scanning procedure, and the resultant images were compared with available magnetic resonance (MR), ultrasound, and mammography images in order to determine the correct detection rate. A sensitivity of 63% was achieved. Breast size influenced overall sensitivity, as sensitivity was lower in smaller breasts (51%) compared to larger ones (74%). Even though this is only a preliminary study, the results show promising concordance with clinical reports, thus encouraging further SAFE clinical studies.
Highlights
Breast cancer accounts for approximately 25% of the total number of cancers diagnosed in women worldwide, with around 2 million new cases arising every year [1,2,3]
Motivated by the lack of comprehensive Microwave imaging (MWI) clinical assessments and our desire to improve the area of breast cancer imaging, we developed a device for screening and early cancer diagnosis, namely SAFE (Scan and Find Early), which is based on non-ionizing microwave radiation
A MWI-based breast cancer screening and early diagnosis prototype was developed for a broad range frequency breast examination
Summary
Breast cancer accounts for approximately 25% of the total number of cancers diagnosed in women worldwide, with around 2 million new cases arising every year [1,2,3]. The American Cancer Society reports that 5-year breast cancer survival rates for localized and locally advanced cases are 99% and 86%, respectively, showing that early detection is associated with lower breast cancer mortality [3,4,5]. Mammography itself is limited by several known risks such as overdiagnosis, overtreatment, false-positive examinations, and radiation exposure [8]. Additional limitations such as relatively low sensitivity, patient discomfort, and pain during the procedure due to breast compression and false negativity in dense breasts [9,10,11,12,13] impact mammography screening reliability.
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