Two-dimensional Microwave Tomographic Imaging of Breast Tissues

Despite its recognized value in detecting and characterizing breast disease, X-ray mammography has important limitations that motivate the quest for alternatives to augment the diagnostic tools that are currently available to the radiologist. The rationale for pursuing electromagnetic methods are based on the significant dielectric contrast between normal and cancerous breast tissues, when exposed to microwaves. The present study analyzes two-dimensional microwave tomographic imaging on normal and malignant breast tissue samples extracted by mastectomy, to assess the suitability of the technique for early detection of breast cancer. The tissue samples are immersed in matching coupling medium and are illuminated by 3 GHz signal. 2-D tomographic images of the breast tissue samples are reconstructed from the collected scattered data using distorted Born iterative method.