Project Lead(s): Anh Dinh
Issue
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide, with nearly 1.7 million new cases diagnosed in 2012.
Breast cancer kills more women than any other cancer in Vietnam; early detection and screening programs are not popular or available to all women.
Mammography is expensive and out of reach for many people, especially those in the remote areas.
Solution
The research project involved development of new technology, called ultra-wideband (UWB), that could screen for potential breast cancer in geographic areas where a mammography is not easily accessible.
The device would provide a 3D image, with information equivalent to a mammogram, at a fraction of the cost through a device that is portable and easy to use.
The anywhere/anytime device could serve as a tool for preliminary detection of breast cancer where x-ray mammography is not accessible (e.g., in remote areas).
Two versions of the prototype were built and tested in the laboratory and then with female patients in a hospital in Vietnam. The device was tested on 25 subjects and a database of the 3D images was developed for comparison with traditional screening methods.
Outcome
Both hardware and software associated with the project functioned well and assessment of the high-resolution 3D images resulted in detection of some abnormalities within the breast tissue.
However, the mapping of the 3D structures of the UWB images with that of mammography and ultrasound images was not clear, and more data are needed about the velocity of the UWB wave propagating in breast tissues.
Results of the project have been discussed at conferences.
The research team does not plan to apply for Transition To Scale (TTS) funding at this time.