IEEE Access (Jan 2024)
Microstrip Patch Antennas for Breast Tumor/Cancer Cell Detection–Challenges, Designs, and Future Opportunities: A Review
Abstract
Breast cancer is a major killer of women worldwide and one of the leading causes of death overall. It involves the progressive abnormal growth of breast tissue which, if detected at an early stage, can be diagnosed as a tumor. Traditional breast cancer screening methods, such as X-ray mammography, magnetic resonance imaging, and ultrasound scanning, present several drawbacks, making them less than ideal. These drawbacks include high costs, exposure to potentially hazardous radiation, and patient inconvenience. Due to these challenges, researchers have been motivated to seek alternative methods, one of which involves the application of microwave technology. In recent years, wearable and flexible patch antennas have gained popularity due to their appealing characteristics and the potential to develop lightweight, compact, low-cost, and adaptable solutions for biomedical applications. This article provides an overview of microwave approaches for breast tumor detection using microstrip patch antennas. In particular, recent advancements in active microwave imaging and microwave-based methods are reviewed. The primary goal of this work is to offer researchers and medical professionals an understanding of the underlying principles, techniques, and challenges associated with microwave imaging for breast tumor/cancer detection. Additionally, this study aims to highlight the fact that, as of now, commercially available, cost-effective microwave-based technologies for imaging or detecting breast tumors/cancer are relatively scarce. This observation is not meant to imply that microwave technology is ineffective for breast tumor/cancer diagnosis; rather, it seeks to spark a constructive discussion about why, despite years of dedicated research, a widely accessible commercial technology has yet to be made available.
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