NPL team develops ultrasound tech for earlier detection of breast cancer
Breast cancer could be diagnosed and treated sooner with a new detection technique developed by scientists at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL).
The technique, demonstrated with in-person measurements of breast tissue, works by transmitting ultrasonic waves through the breast which are then detected by a new type of sensor resulting in maps that show how much ultrasound is lost in the tissue.
The team at NPL conducted a study measuring the breast tissue of 12 nominally healthy volunteers aged between 19 and 65 years old. According to NPL, the study indicates that the relatively simple technique could be applied as a robust method for assessing the breast composition and provides encouraging results that can be applied in breast ultrasound scanner design to improvements in image reconstruction.
The results of the study were published in August by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) and are available at IEEE Explore.
Breast cancer is the most diagnosed cancer in the UK and is the second most common cause of cancer mortality in women.
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