Photoacoustic Mammography: A Safe New Method for Diagnosing Breast Cancer

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Photoacoustic mammography or PAMmography is a new, safe method to determine breast cancer. The technique combines light and sound waves to create detailed images of breast tissue without ionizing radiation. The technique is currently being researched in several medical centers and has already shown positive results. This makes it a promising addition to existing methods for diagnosing breast cancer.

Also read: What are the symptoms of breast cancer in women?

What is photoacoustic mammography?

Reliable imaging is crucial for detecting breast cancer. Photoacoustic mammography is a new and promising diagnostic tool. Photoacoustics involves sending very short laser pulses into a patient’s body. For example, when the laser light hits a blood vessel, heat is created that causes a small increase in pressure. This increase in pressure triggers a sound wave that is recorded with ultrasound equipment. In this way, breast cancer can be detected earlier and more accurately through blood vessel formation around a malignant tumor.

Also read: What types of breast cancer are there?

How does it work?

Michelle Heijblom, head of the TechMed Academy in the Netherlands, explains exactly how photoacoustic mammography works: “We radiate light onto the breast. This is absorbed by breast tissue. And it is precisely around cancer that there are blood cells that absorb that light very much. This creates a sound wave that we can capture with an echo prop. This way we can know whether a tumor is present or not, and where it is located.”

“Normally, harmful X-rays are used for breast examinations. This device does not use that. Laser light is harmless to the body. Furthermore, the breast is not clamped as tightly as with traditional examination. That makes it less painful for the patient. And it can be applied to a very large part of the population: both young and old women can undergo this examination.”

The photoacoustic equipment is not yet ready for use in practice. The technology is still being developed, but the PAMmography has already been praised and won several prizes. “I think this technology is suitable for screening large groups of women to determine whether or not they have breast cancer,” explains Frank van den Engh, radiologist at the Medical Center in Twente. “We will try to encourage the industry to jointly develop the equipment into a product that can be marketed.”

Also read: New precise treatment against breast cancer in the making

What are the advantages?

Photoacoustic mammography offers several advantages:

Early detection can be done with high precision. By combining light and sound waves, detailed images with better resolution are obtained, making early detection of breast abnormalities possible. The method is painless. Unlike traditional mammograms, photoacoustic mammography does not cause pain because the breast is not compressed. Photoacoustic mammography is functional for dense glandular tissue, which also makes it a suitable method for young women. The technique uses harmless light pulses. There is therefore no ionizing radiation or contrast fluid as with some traditional methods, making it safer. It is a scalable technique. The technique and associated instruments can be adapted relatively easily for research on other human organs. For example, several devices have already been developed for detecting rheumatism in finger joints.

Also read: Cancer survival rates have increased dramatically

Photoacoustic Mammography: A Safe New Method for Diagnosing Breast Cancer

What is photoacoustic mammography?

How does it work?

What are the advantages?

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