2023-10-06 13:36:11
Researchers have developed a new ultrasound device that can be inserted directly into a bra, allowing more frequent monitoring of patients at high risk of breast cancer.
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The chances of surviving breast cancer depend mainly on the stage of diagnosis. Thus, the survival rate approaches 100% when this cancer is diagnosed in the early stages, while it drops to around 25% with tumorstumors detected at more advanced stages. This is why it is essential to find solutions to detect breast cancer as early as possible.
Targeting patients at risk of developing interval cancers
Although the breast x-ray (the mammographymammography) generally makes it possible to detect tumors before the doctor, the method misses approximately one in eight breast cancers. Additionally, breast tumors (called “interval cancers”) may develop between scheduled mammograms. “ These tumors account for 20-30% of all breast cancer cases and tend to be more aggressive than those detected during routine exams. », Reports a press release from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (WITH).
In a new study, MIT researchers designed a small device to ultrasoundultrasound which slips directly into the bra and which might help detect tumors at an earlier stage. “ My goal is to target people most likely to develop interval cancerexplained Canan Dagdeviren, associate professor at MIT’s Media Lab and co-author of the study. Through more frequent screening, our goal is to increase the survival rate to 98%. »
The wearable device is a flexible, 3D-printed patch that has “honeycomb”-shaped openings. It can be attached to a bra whose openings allow the ultrasound machine to come into contact with the skin. The ultrasound machine is itself placed inside an ultrasound tracker which can be moved to several different positions, allowing an image of the entire breast to be obtained.
Image quality similar to that of traditional ultrasounds
For the moment, the researchers tested the device on a 71-year-old woman with a history of breast cysts and they were able to detect cysts with a diameter of 0.3 centimeters, the size of a tumor at a stage early. Scientists have shown that they can obtain ultrasound images with a resolutionresolution comparable to that used in medical imaging centers.
As the wearable device can be used repeatedly, it might be used at home by people at high risk of breast cancer, who would benefit from frequent screening. It might also help diagnose cancer in people who do not have regular access to screening.
Currently, we must connect the scannerscanner to the same type of ultrasound machine used in imaging centers to view ultrasound images. But scientists are already working on a version of the imaging system that would be the size of a smartphonesmartphone. They also plan to adapt ultrasound technology to scan other parts of the body.
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