Detect breast cancer without leaving home. This is a chance for faster diagnosis

The device is 8 millimeters long and less than 3 mm thick. It resembles a patch or honeycomb in shape and appearance. The design has been equipped with a magnet to attach it to the bra and wear it under clothing. Importantly, the ultrasound scanner is also characterized by great flexibility. The equipment adapts to the body. It can be freely moved and set in six different positions, which allows tissue imaging from many angles. The scanner is based on ultrasound technology that is used in medical imaging centers. Canan Dagdeviren, associate professor and lead author of the study notes:

We changed the format of ultrasonic technology so that it can be used at home. Our equipment is portable and easy to use. It allows you to quickly monitor your breast tissue in real time.

The device was inspired by the story of the scientist’s late aunt, Fatma Caliskanoglu. A 49-year-old woman was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer. Regular cancer screening has not helped. She died six months later.

A chance for faster diagnosis of breast cancer

Pathological breast changes that develop between regularly scheduled mammograms – known as interval cancers – account for 20 to 30 percent of all breast cancer cases. They are also more aggressive than tumors detected during routine scans.

My goal is to reach people who are most likely to develop interval cancer. More frequent screening tests will increase the survival rate of patients with breast cancer to 98 percent, the professor adds.

The portable ultrasound machine has been clinically tested. The device was used to image the tissues of a 72-year-old woman with breast lesions. It detected cysts with a diameter of 0.3 centimeters (similar sizes have tumors in the early stages of breast cancer). The same results were obtained by a study using classical imaging methods.

Access to high-quality and affordable healthcare is essential for the early detection and diagnosis of cancer. As a nurse, I witnessed the negative effects of delayed diagnosis. This technology promises to break down many barriers to early detection of breast cancer, says Catherine Ricciardi, co-author of the study.

The ultrasound “patch” is reusable equipment. Scientists predict that it can be an extremely useful tool that will speed up the process of diagnosing cancerous changes. This is especially important for patients with limited access to screening tests, for example people with disabilities or residents of rural areas.

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers among women. It can be cured if detected in its early stages. This body-conforming ultrasound patch eliminates the hassle of traveling to medical facilities, says surgeon Tolga Ozmen of Massachusetts General Hospital.

Currently, scientists are working on improving the equipment. They want it to be used not only to examine breasts, but also other parts of the body. They hope that artificial intelligence will be used to analyze changes in images over time, which will relieve radiologists without losing accuracy in diagnostics.

Sources: news-medical.net, news.mit.edu