A new technique utilizing terahertz waves proved capable of imaging breast cancer without tissue sample staining, according to new research.
Experts out of Osaka University in Japan, the University of Bordeaux and the Bergonié Institute in France said their advanced method imaged early-stage samples smaller than 0.5 mm, which is difficult even under pathological analysis
Their work overcomes the time-intensive staining process and immense difficulty clinicians face in distinguishing ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) from malignant invasive ductal carcinoma. And even with their advanced approach, it was initially hard to diagnose one from the other, lead author Kosuke Okada, with Osaka University, noted.
"To overcome this drawback, we developed a unique imaging technique in which terahertz light sources that are locally generated at irradiation spots of laser beams in a nonlinear optical crystal directly interact with a breast cancer tissue sample,” Okada said in a statement. “Consequently, we succeeded in clearly visualizing a DCIS lesion of less than 0.5 mm.”
Essentially, the researchers found that terahertz intensities were different between DCIS and IDC samples. Okada et al. said their technique’s accuracy is nearly 1,000 times higher than other terahertz-based approaches.
And if paired with emerging artificial intelligence technologies, the authors said more DCIS cases can be caught before they potentially turn into lethal cancers.
"Combining our technique with machine learning will aid in the early detection of cancer and determination of cancer malignancy, as well as the development of innovative terahertz diagnostic devices using micro electromechanical Systems,” added corresponding author Masayoshi Tonouchi, with Osaka University.
The research will be published Oct. 22 in the Journal of Physics: Photonics.
Matt joined Chicago’s TriMed team in 2018 covering all areas of health imaging after two years reporting on the hospital field. He holds a bachelor’s in English from UIC, and enjoys a good cup of coffee and an interesting documentary.