(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Many women find conventional mammography
uncomfortable, and doctors admit the technology misses some breast cancers,
especially in younger women with denser breasts. What’s more, the test exposes
women to radiation.
New technology being developed at the University of Bristol in the United
Kingdom may be the answer. Researchers there are working on an imaging technique
that uses radio waves, similar to radar systems used in the aviation and other
industries, to identify breast problems.
“This new imaging technique works by transmitting radio waves of a very low
energy and detecting reflected signals; it then uses these signals to make a 3D
image of the breast,” study author Dr. Ian Craddock was quoted as saying. “This
is basically the same as any radar system, such as the radars used for air
traffic control at our airports.”
For the test, women place their breast in a ceramic cup where transmitters view
it from several different angles. So far the investigators have tested the
device in about 60 women, finding it takes about six minutes to examine both
breasts.
“Women love it as they compare it to a mammogram and find the whole experience
much more comfortable,” notes Mike Shere, associate specialist breast clinician
at North Bristol NHS Trust, where the device is being trialed.
The researchers will now conduct a study comparing mammograms with the new test
to see if the new test picks up as many breast cancers.
SOURCE: University of Bristol, published online November 11, 2008
