[Microwave thermography in the assessment of breast pathology]

Searching for a noninvasive method of the diagnosis of breast pathology was the initial reason of setting up this study. The aim of this work was to answer the following questions: does the microwave thermography allow us to detect pathological masses within the breast and may it be used as the screening test taking under consideration its diagnostic accuracy. The results of microwave thermography were compared with physical examination, ultrasonomammography, mammography, cytology (from aspirating biopsy - BAC) or histopathological examination (performed during operation or as open diagnostic biopsy). Statistically significant differences in temperatures obtained by thermography, were revealed between three groups (healthy control, women with benign breast disease and group of patients with breast cancer), for the temperature amplitude within whole breast tissue. Statistical significance was also obtained comparing temperature amplitude examined beyond palpable breast mass. There was no statistical significant differences between tumour volume, clinical stage of disease, morphological differentiation of breast disorders and examined differences of the values of temperature amplitude. The usefulness of microwave thermography in the detection of breast disorders (both breast carcinoma and benign breast masses), gives hope for final success in searching for noninvasive diagnostic procedures, which can be implemented as a screening examination of women population.