Microwave rediometry in mammology

Presently the earlier detection of breast cancer is one of the most important problems. In several countries this disease is the main course of women death. In the United States one in every 9 women will experience breast cancer during her lifetime.Professor Semiglazov says, that early detection of breast cancer by the clinical method is later biologically. Screening once in 12-24 months is not enough to detect fast growing breast cancer. Note that patients with fast growing breast cancer is a quarter of all breast cancer patients. …So it is expedient to use screening in conjunction with other non-invasive investigative methods

Microwave Radiometry is based on measuring the intensity of natural electromagnetic radiation from a patient's tissue at microwave frequencies. This intensity is proportional to the temperature of tissue. The change in temperature (thermal abnormality), that is a basis of the earlier detection of breast cancer, may be caused by increased cancer cell metabolism.

It should be noted that thermal changes precede to anatomical changes that can be detected by traditional methods such as ultrasound, mammography and palpation. Thus microwave radiometry is a very promising method for the breast cancer detection at an earlier stage. Also it should be noted that as microwave radiometry measures natural electromagnetic radiation from the patient's tissue, it is absolutely harmless and safe both to the patients and to the medical personnel. So the method can be used successfully for screening and for monitoring treatment.

The specific heat generation in the tumor is proportional to the grow rate of the tumor. So fast growing tumors are "hotter" and they are more contrast in thermograms. Thus microwave radiometry is an unique method that allows to detect first of all fast growing tumors. Using microwave radiometry (RTM-Diagnosis) in conjunction with other traditional methods allows to select patients with fast growing tumors.

RTM-diagnosis is based on measuring the internal temperature and the skin temperature of the breast. The procedure is made within 6-10 days of the menstrual cycle or on any day, if menopause. The patients lay on the back with their hands behind their head, in order to normalize the arrangement of the measured points and open axillary regions. Ten points on two breasts, including areola, centers of the quadrants, borders between the quadrants and axilary regions are measured. The skin temperature is measured by the same way.

Obtained temperature readings are displayed as a thermogram or a temperature field on the monitor. Also software includes an expert system for breast cancer diagnosis.

Since 1997 we have examined over 1000 patients at leader Moscow oncological and mammological canters. Basing on our investigation we have developed medical method for breast cancer detection with microwave radiometry and then we conducted clinical trials that have confirmed efficiency of the new method. For three years we have conducted clinical trials at leader Moscow oncological centers in 1000 patients. These clinical tials have shown that detective ability of Microwave Radiometry is 90 per cent. Also microwave radiometry allows to detect proliferative mastopathy and fibroadenoma.

As microwave radiometry is absolutely harmless, RTM-Diagnosis can be successfully used for monitoring treatment of various breast diseases.

At present radiometers are used at many Moscow oncological centers.

We train physicians in RTM-Diagnosis. The course lasts 30 hours. It includes practice, software training and theory