Microwave Tomography Imaging Used in Breast Cancer Prognosis

Microwave tomography Imaging can be used to monitor how well treatment for breast cancer is progressing. The technology was able to differentiate between breast cancer, benign growths, and healthy tissue.

The study’s findings were published April 2013 in BioMed Central’s open access journal Breast Cancer Research. Eight women with breast cancer were treated with chemotherapy until surgery, as part of their normal therapy. During treatment, magnetic resonance image was supplemented with microwave tomography at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (Hannover, NH, USA). Areas of high conductivity corresponded to the tumors, low conductivity to normal tissues, and different from other imaging techniques, age, body mass index (BMI), or breast density did not appear to affect the findings.


This imaging technique is inexpensive and can be repeated at numerous stages during treatment. Dr. Paul Meaney, from Dartmouth College (Hannover, NH, USA), who led the study, explained, “By recalling patients for scans during their treatment, we found that we could actually see tumors shrinking in women who responded to chemotherapy. Microwave tomography could therefore be used to identify women who are not responding to initial therapy and their treatment changed appropriately at an early stage.”

Related Links:
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center
Dartmouth College