(Press-News.org) Contact information: Donna Dubuc
donna.M.Dubuc@Dartmouth.edu
603-653-3615
The Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth
Researchers developing new approach for imaging dense breasts for abnormalities
Refinements made to near-infrared spectroscopy during clinical MRI
(Lebanon, NH, 1/24/14) — Dartmouth engineers and radiologists are developing new approaches for an emerging technique in diagnostic imaging for breast cancer—MRI with near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) as reported in the journal Academic Radiology, February 2014.
Combined MRI/NIRS may benefit women whose mammogram showed an abnormality and requires further testing to rule out cancer. The test would be conducted before an invasive biopsy to look for tumors. For the new method to work successfully in routine patient care, MRI/NIRS must adapt to an individual's body size as well as accommodate a range of cup sizes. The equipment must also mobilize and maintain contact with the breast.
An MRI/NIRS may offer specific advantages to women with dense breasts, who are more likely to develop and die from breast cancer. A dense breast is harder for a radiologist to "see through" when using traditional imaging equipment, which lacks the sensitivity to penetrate the dense tissue. Standard breast screening is effective 77-97 percent of the time in a normal breast, but when a breast is dense precision falls to 63-89 percent.
Prior approaches for MRI/NIRS used parallel plates and relied on custom breast molds for each patient. Biomedical engineers from the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth developed a new, more flexible, convenient, and comfortable approach. They designed a set of eight light transmitting cables that can be adjusted to surround the breast with light tension. A woman lies on her stomach and the breast hangs pendant through the holes of the MRI/NIRS breast coil. The procedure is nearly identical to clinical MRI.
Eight women participated in a trial of the new design. "We found that the new interface allowed us to target lesions more effectively than ever before, said Michael Mastanduno, corresponding author of the study. "Set up time was faster and images were of higher quality."
The Dartmouth MRI/NIRS offers increased coverage of the chest, giving providers improved visibility for " hard to see" areas, such as the outside area of the breast near the armpit.
"This work is a huge improvement on previous designs of MRI/NIRS systems. All breast sizes and lesion locations can now be effectively imaged. Though there is more work to be done, this technology is promising for improving MRI's ability to distinguish cancer from benign abnormalities," said Mastanduno.
As a next step Dartmouth researchers will test MRI/NIRS in women with suspicious lesions.
INFORMATION:
The study was supported by NIH grant RO1 CA069544. Additional authors include: Fadi El-Ghussein, BS, Shudong Jiang, PhD, Roberta DiFlorio-Alexander, MD, Xu Junqing, MD, Yin Hong, MD, Brian W. Pogue, PhD, Keith D. Paulsen, PhD.
About Norris Cotton Cancer Center at Dartmouth-Hitchcock
Norris Cotton Cancer Center combines advanced cancer research at Dartmouth and the Geisel School of Medicine with patient-centered cancer care provided at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, at Dartmouth-Hitchcock regional locations in Manchester, Nashua, and Keene, NH, and St. Johnsbury, VT, and at 12 partner hospitals throughout New Hampshire and Vermont. It is one of 41 centers nationwide to earn the National Cancer Institute's "Comprehensive Cancer Center" designation. Learn more about Norris Cotton Cancer Center research, programs, and clinical trials online at cancer.dartmouth.edu.
Researchers developing new approach for imaging dense breasts for abnormalities
Refinements made to near-infrared spectroscopy during clinical MRI
2014-01-24
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Simple protein test could improve prediction of survival rates for patients with head and neck cance
2014-01-24
Scientists from The University of Manchester – part of the Manchester Cancer Research Centre - used a simple protein test that could prove more ...
Do doctors spend too much time looking at computer screen?
2014-01-24
CHICAGO --- When physicians spend too much time looking at the computer screen in the exam room, nonverbal ...
Cause identified for children and adults with joint, skeletal and skin problems
2014-01-24
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 24-Jan-2014
[
| E-mail
]
var addthis_pub="eurekalert"; var addthis_options = "favorites, delicious, digg, facebook, twitter, google, newsvine, reddit, slashdot, stumbleupon, buzz, more"
Share
Contact: Alison Barbuti
alison.barbuti@manchester.ac.uk
44-016-127-58383
University of Manchester
Cause identified for children and adults with joint, skeletal and skin problems
Scientists from the University of Manchester and Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have identified the cause of a rare condition called Leri's ...
Study expands the cancer genomics universe
2014-01-24
A landmark study across many cancer types reveals that the universe of cancer mutations is much bigger than ...
Omnibus appropriations bill signed into law
2014-01-24
The Academy of Radiology Research thanks Congress and the President for their support of the omnibus appropriations bill. ...
Psychologists document the age our earliest memories fade
2014-01-24
Although infants use their memories to learn new information, few adults can remember events in their lives that happened prior to ...
Integrating vegetation into sustainable transportation planning may benefit public health
2014-01-24
SACRAMENTO, Calif.—Strategic placement of trees and plants near busy roadways may enhance air quality and positively impact ...
The rocky road to a better flu vaccine
2014-01-24
Currently approved flu vaccines are less effective in the elderly, yet an estimated 90% of influenza-related deaths occur in people over 65. A paper published on January 23rd in PLOS Pathogens reports on the challenges scientists ...
Sickle cell trait in African-American dialysis patients affects dosing of anemia drugs
2014-01-24
Washington, DC (January 23, 2014) — The presence of sickle cell trait among African Americans may help explain why those ...
The evolution of drug resistance within a HIV population
2014-01-24
Drug resistance mutations in HIV reduce the genetic diversity in the rest of the virus genome when they spread within an infected patient, but they do so to a different extent in different patients. A new study ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Fat may play an important role in brain metabolism
New study finds no lasting impact of pandemic pet ownership on human well-being
New insights on genetic damage of some chemotherapies could guide future treatments with less harmful side effects
Gut microbes could protect us from toxic ‘forever chemicals’
Novel modelling links sea ice loss to Antarctic ice shelf calving events
Scientists can tell how fast you're aging from a single brain scan
U.S. uterine cancer incidence and mortality rates expected to significantly increase by 2050
Public take the lead in discovery of new exploding star
What are they vaping? Study reveals alarming surge in adolescent vaping of THC, CBD, and synthetic cannabinoids
ECMWF - delivering forecasts over 10 times faster and cutting energy usage by 1000
Brazilian neuroscientist reveals how viral infections transform the brain through microscopic detective work
Turning social fragmentation into action through discovering relatedness
Cheese may really be giving you nightmares, scientists find
Study reveals most common medical emergencies in schools
Breathable yet protective: Next-gen medical textiles with micro/nano networks
Frequency-engineered MXene supercapacitors enable efficient pulse charging in TENG–SC hybrid systems
Developed an AI-based classification system for facial pigmented lesions
Achieving 20% efficiency in halogen-free organic solar cells via isomeric additive-mediated sequential processing
New book Terraglossia reclaims language, Country and culture
The most effective diabetes drugs don't reach enough patients yet
Breast cancer risk in younger women may be influenced by hormone therapy
Strategies for staying smoke-free after rehab
Commentary questions the potential benefit of levothyroxine treatment of mild hypothyroidism during pregnancy
Study projects over 14 million preventable deaths by 2030 if USAID defunding continues
New study reveals 33% gap in transplant access for UK’s poorest children
Dysregulated epigenetic memory in early embryos offers new clues to the inheritance of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
IVF and IUI pregnancy rates remain stable across Europe, despite an increasing uptake of single embryo transfer
It takes a village: Chimpanzee babies do better when their moms have social connections
From lab to market: how renewable polymers could transform medicine
Striking increase in obesity observed among youth between 2011 and 2023
[Press-News.org] Researchers developing new approach for imaging dense breasts for abnormalitiesRefinements made to near-infrared spectroscopy during clinical MRI