Breast cancer affects up to 200,000 women with approximately 40,000 deaths in the U.S. each year. Although improvements in screening mammography and early intervention have steadily contributed to reductions in incidence and mortality, fundamental limits in the performance of x-ray imaging remain a significant problem for younger women and individuals with high mammographic density. New technologies are urgently needed to fill specific gaps in the ability of conventional radiologic imaging to detect and guide the clinical management of breast cancer.

This lecture describes the development and application of a laser breast scanner (LBS) that can be used in a variety of settings, ranging from hospitals to physician’s offices and remote clinics. The LBS employs broadband diffuse optical spectroscopic imaging (DOSI), a near-infrared technology capable of forming quantitative images of breast tissue composition and metabolism. Emphasis is placed on generating high-resolution tissue absorption and scattering spectra between 650-1000 nm, and forming quantitative functional images of tissue deoxygenated hemoglobin, oxygenated hemoglobin, lipid, and water. Scanning is performed using a hand-held probe without compression or injection of contrast agents. Two major clinical needs are under investigation: 1) Detection and diagnosis in mammographically dense breast tissue, and 2) Monitoring and predicting patient response to pre-surgical neo-adjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). Quantitative imaging endpoints based on optically-derived physiologic parameters can distinguish between malignant and benign tumors and predict NAC response early in the course of treatment. These endpoints correlate with conventional breast tissue biomarkers and can be used to further our understanding of the role of perfusion and metabolism in tumor growth and response to therapy. In order to assess impact and clinical potential, DOSI standardization, validation, and efficacy are currently under investigation in an American College of Radiology Imaging Networks (ACRIN) multi-center clinical trial (http://acrin.bli.uci.edu/).


Seminar, June 5, 2012, 15:00. Blue Lecture Room

Hosted by Prof. Turgut Durduran