Bye, Bye Breast Biopsy?

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Bye, Bye Breast Biopsy?

Postby Teleny » Thu Apr 03, 2014 10:14 am

Diagnosing breast cancer is neither a simple nor pain-free matter.
First, there’s a breast-squashing mammogram, followed by a biopsy which often involves removing a core of tissue for analysis. 80% of the time biopsies return a ‘no cancer’ verdict, so it would be preferable if healthy cancer-free women could be spared the trauma of invasive diagnosis.

That’s the thought behind a new diagnostic technique which is currently being trialled in the USA. It’s called Imagio, a hybrid laser/ultrasound technology which can not only locate but identify cancer masses inside the breast. Incorporated into a hand-held device, it is simply passed over the skin surface.

handheld laser ultrasound device.gif
handheld laser ultrasound device.gif (14.31 KiB) Viewed 4079 times
The resulting ‘opto-acoustic’ images can reveal the tell-tale characteristics of blood vessels surrounding cancer tumours – in particular an absence of oxygen in the blood and a unique pattern of veins. “Unlike other imaging modalities, Imagio doesn't expose patients to potentially harmful x-rays and injectable contrast agents”, say the manufacturers. “In addition to diagnosis, it has the potential to help clinicians grade the aggressiveness of cancerous breast tumours, and to monitor the patient’s response to later treatment.”
However, even if the current trials are successful, the technique’s at least five years away from coming into general use.
Teleny
 
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