Effect of blood flow, tumour and cold stress in a female breast: a novel time-accurate computer simulation

Breast cancer is a dreadful disease among women and early detection helps in achieving a cure. The mammogram is presently the standard tool for detecting breast abnormality, but its sensitivity is lower for women with dense breasts. It has been found that women with an abnormal thermogram are at a higher risk and have a poorer prognosis. However, performing and interpreting thermograms requires meticulous training. Computer simulations can be an additional tool to help the clinician in the interpretation. In this paper, a novel and flexible finite element model of a female breast is developed. Both steady state and time-dependent solutions are obtained. Steady state solutions globally match experimental thermographic results with the proper choice of blood perfusion source terms, tissue thickness and geometric scaling factor. Although the simulations may not be useful in providing a unique solution (i.e. exact size and location of the tumour owing to the complex physiological relationship between the tumour and the breast surface temperature), it would nevertheless help in the 'analysis by elimination'. An example of this type of analysis is also presented.