Advances in terahertz technology for cancer detection applications

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Imaging
• Medical Physics
• Cancer Diagnostics

Background:

• Growing demand for early cancer detection with functional and morphological information.
• Advancements in terahertz (THz) and infrared imaging offer complementary approaches to conventional methods.
• THz cancer imaging provides label-free, non-ionizing, and non-invasive early detection opportunities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review technological advancements in THz technology for cancer imaging applications.
• To explore the principles of THz radiation generation, detection, imaging, and spectroscopy.
• To discuss the application of THz imaging in detecting various cancers, particularly in vivo skin cancer.

Main Methods:

• Review of fundamental principles and techniques for THz radiation generation and detection.
• Analysis of THz imaging and spectroscopy applications in cancer detection.
• Discussion of data processing techniques, advantages, challenges, and performance improvement in THz cancer imaging.

Main Results:

• THz image contrast is primarily attributed to differences in refractive index, absorption, and dielectric properties between cancerous and normal tissues, linked to water content and blood supply.
• Other contributing factors to THz contrast include cellular structural changes, molecular density, and interactions with biological tissues.
• Review highlights advancements in optimized and miniaturized THz systems.

Conclusions:

• THz imaging presents a promising modality for early cancer detection due to its unique contrast mechanisms.
• Integration of THz systems with AI, IoT, and big data analytics will enable sophisticated next-generation healthcare systems.
• Future research should focus on large-scale clinical applications and further system optimization for connected healthcare.