Breast Cancer: Targets and Therapy (Sep 2020)
Breast Cancer Detection Using Low-Frequency Bioimpedance Device
Abstract
Sofiene Mansouri,1,2 Tareq Alhadidi,1 Marwa Ben Azouz2 1College of Applied Medical Sciences, Department of Biomedical Technology, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj 11942, Saudi Arabia; 2University of Tunis El Manar, Higher Institute of Medical Technologies of Tunis, Laboratory of Biophysics and Medical Technologies, Tunis 1009, TunisiaCorrespondence: Sofiene MansouriCollege of Applied Medical Sciences, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj 11942, Saudi ArabiaTel +966533791123Email [email protected]: Early detection of breast cancer saves lives. Existing detecting techniques are invasive. Electrical bioimpedance is a noninvasive technique and has a high diagnostic potential.Methods: An impedance value different from the normal can predict a physiological abnormality. The idea is to use a designed bioimpedance device to early detect breast cancer. A low-frequency current (1 kHz, 0.9 mA) is injected to each breast to measure the extracellular resistances. The resistances of the two breasts are then measured, and if there is a significant difference, warning is displayed. The performance was tested on a set of reference resistors, and the validation was done in vitro on (Na+Cl-) solutions and in vivo on a group of forty volunteer women.Results: The results confirm that the electrical conductivity of an ionic solution is proportional to its concentration. The concentration and the resistance are strongly correlated (correlation coefficient of 0.97). The accuracy and the repeatability of the measures were satisfactory. Early detection means that we can detect small extracellular concentration variations into the breast (from 0.6 g/l). In vivo measurements made it possible to set the threshold at 50 ohm. If the difference between the two measured breast resistances is greater than this threshold, we advise the patient to consult a doctor promptly.Conclusion: The difference between measured resistances of the right and left breast is a pertinent parameter to early detect the presence of a cancer. The lowest resistance value (RR or RL) can provide information on the breast affected by the cancer (right or left). Various improvements in the system are possible but already the results are encouraging. In the future, this system could be integrated into a bra.Keywords: biomedical engineering, breast cancer detection, electrical bioimpedance, FPGA Virtex-5 LX30, LabVIEW FPGA, NI PXI-7841R
