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Detection of breast abnormalities using a prototype resonance electrical impedance spectroscopy system: a preliminary
Bin Zheng1, Margarita L Zuley, Jules H Sumkin
1Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA. zhengb@upmc.edu
Medical Physics
|August 14, 2008
Summary
Resonance electrical impedance spectroscopy (REIS) shows promise for identifying suspicious breast abnormalities. This non-invasive technique is comfortable, quick, and can help stratify risk for breast cancer in women.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Medical Imaging
- Electrical Engineering
Background:
- Electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) has had limited success in breast cancer screening.
- There is a need for non-invasive, risk-stratifying tools for younger women.
- Previous EIS methods lacked sufficient accuracy for clinical application.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate a novel resonance frequency-based electrical impedance spectroscopy (REIS) approach.
- To identify breasts with suspicious abnormalities requiring biopsy.
- To assess REIS as a potential adjunct or pre-screening tool for breast cancer.
Main Methods:
- Developed a prototype REIS system for multifrequency electrical sweeps (100–4100 kHz).
- Recruited 150 women (30–50 years old) for REIS measurements using a two-probe system.
- Utilized an artificial neural network (ANN) with REIS difference features for classification.
Main Results:
- REIS is easy to perform, quick, comfortable, and non-sensory.
- The ANN achieved an area under the ROC curve (A(z)) of 0.707 ± 0.033 for biopsy vs. non-biopsy cases.
- Performance improved to A(z) = 0.746 ± 0.033 when excluding recalled but negative cases, with ~30% sensitivity at 95% specificity.
Conclusions:
- REIS is a feasible and comfortable method for breast examination.
- REIS signals around resonance frequency can help identify women with suspicious abnormalities.
- The REIS approach shows potential for improving breast cancer risk stratification and detection.
