Influence of Tumor Volume on the Fluence Rate Within Human Breast Model Using Continuous-Wave Diffuse Optical...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Optics
• Medical Imaging
• Cancer Diagnostics

Background:

• Early breast cancer detection is crucial to improve patient outcomes and reduce the need for mastectomy.
• Conventional methods like mammography and MRI often lead to late diagnosis.
• Optical imaging offers a safer, more sensitive alternative for early breast cancer detection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of varying breast tumor sizes on fluence rate distribution during diffuse optical imaging.
• To determine optimal laser wavelengths for differentiating between normal and cancerous breast tissue.
• To evaluate the efficiency of diffuse optical imaging in cancer detection and discrimination.

Main Methods:

• Simulated multiple detectors on a 3D breast model to compute optical fluence rate.
• Probed normal and tumor-containing breast models with laser irradiation (600-1000 nm).
• Used COMSOL Multiphysics for finite-element solution of the diffusion equation to estimate fluence rate.

Main Results:

• Fluence rate distribution varied significantly with different tumor sizes.
• The wavelength of 600 nm showed distinct differences in scattering coefficients between healthy and malignant tissues.
• Observed variations in fluence rate aid in discriminating between normal and cancerous breast tissue.

Conclusions:

• Diffuse optical imaging, by analyzing fluence rate distribution, shows promise for early breast cancer detection.
• The study highlights the importance of tumor size and laser wavelength selection for effective imaging.
• This technique offers a potential non-invasive method for improving breast cancer diagnosis.