International Workshop on Medical Ultrasound Tomography

Ultrasound Tomography for Breast Cancer Screening

Nov 3, 2017, 9:30 AM

20m

Lecture Hall

Oral Main Track Session 8: Clinical applications I

Speaker

Neb Duric (Delphinus Medical Technologies and Karmanos Cancer Institute)

Description

Both mammography and standard ultrasound (US) rely upon subjective criteria within the breast imaging reporting and data system (BI-RADS) to provide more uniform interpretation outcomes, as well as differentiation and risk stratification of associated abnormalities. We have been developing a new technique for breast imaging that is based on ultrasound tomography which quantifies tissue characteristics for development of more objective criteria.

(4) Discussion and Conclusion

Ultrasound tomography is an operator independent method of imaging the breast. Experience with the SoftVue system indicates that rendering of parenchymal structures and lesions is similar to that of MRI while providing its own unique metrics for lesion characterization.

(3) Results

Our study demonstrated a high degree of correlation of breast tissue structures relative to fat subtracted contrast enhanced MRI. With a scan duration of ~ 1-3 minutes, no significant motion artifacts were observed. Initial clinical results suggest an ability to characterize lesions using margin boundary scores in combination with sound speed and attenuation parameters.

(2) Material and Methods

Informed consent was obtained from all patients, prospectively recruited in an IRB-approved protocol following HIPAA guidelines. Images were produced by tomographic algorithms for reflection, sound speed and attenuation. All images were reviewed by a board-certified radiologist who has more than 20 years of experience in breast imaging and US-technology development. In the first phase of the study, UST images were compared to multi-modal imaging to determine the appearance of lesions and breast parenchyma. In the second phase of the study, correlative comparisons with MR breast imaging were used to establish basic operational capabilities of the UST system including the identification and characterization of parenchymal patterns.