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Microwave Radiometry
in Mammology
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Presently the earlier
detection of breast cancer is one of the most important problems. In several
countries this disease is the main course of women death. In the United
States one in every 9 women will experience breast cancer during her lifetime.
Professor Semiglazov says, that early detection of breast cancer by the
clinical method is later biologically. Screening once in 12-24 months
is not enough to detect fast growing breast cancer. Note that patients
with fast growing breast cancer is a quarter of all breast cancer patients.
So it is expedient to use screening in conjunction with other non-invasive
investigative methods
Internal
temperature field of a 57-year-old female's
breasts.Cancer of the left breast on the borders
of the inner quadrants. |
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| Internal
temperature field of a 22-year-old healthy female |
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Microwave Radiometry
is based on measuring the intensity of natural electromagnetic radiation
from a patient's tissue at microwave frequencies. This intensity is proportional
to the temperature of tissue. The change in temperature (thermal abnormality),
that is a basis of the earlier detection of breast cancer, may be caused
by increased cancer cell metabolism.
It should be noted
that thermal changes precede to anatomical changes that can be detected
by traditional methods such as ultrasound, mammography and palpation.
Thus microwave radiometry is a very promising method for the breast cancer
detection at an earlier stage. Also it should be noted that as microwave
radiometry measures natural electromagnetic radiation from the patient's
tissue, it is absolutely harmless and safe both to the patients and to
the medical personnel. So the method can be used successfully for screening
and for monitoring treatment.
The specific heat
generation in the tumor is proportional to the grow rate of the tumor.
So fast growing tumors are "hotter" and they are more contrast
in thermograms. Thus microwave radiometry is an unique method that allows
to detect first of all fast growing tumors. Using microwave radiometry
(RTM-Diagnosis) in conjunction with other traditional methods allows to
select patients with fast growing tumors.
RTM-diagnosis is based
on measuring the internal temperature and the skin temperature of the
breast. The procedure is made within 6-10 days of the menstrual cycle
or on any day, if menopause. The patients lay on the back with their hands
behind their head, in order to normalize the arrangement of the measured
points and open axillary regions. Ten points on two breasts, including
areola, centers of the quadrants, borders between the quadrants and axillary
regions are measured. The skin temperature is measured by the same way.
Obtained temperature
readings are displayed as a thermogram or a temperature field on the monitor.
Also software includes an expert system for breast cancer diagnosis.
Since 1997 we have
examined over 1000 patients at leader Moscow oncological and mammological
canters. Basing on our investigation we have developed medical method
for breast cancer detection with microwave radiometry and then we conducted
clinical trials that have confirmed efficiency of the new method. For
three years we have conducted clinical trials at leader Moscow oncological
centers in 1000 patients. These clinical trials have shown that detective
ability of Microwave Radiometry is 90 per cent. Also microwave radiometry
allows to detect proliferative mastopathy and fibroadenoma.
As microwave radiometry
is absolutely harmless, RTM-Diagnosis can be successfully used for monitoring
treatment of various breast diseases.
At present radiometers
are used at many Moscow oncological centers.
We train physicians
in RTM-Diagnosis. The course lasts 30 hours. It includes practice, software
training and theory
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