Structural health monitoring of tissue mechanics for non-invasive diagnosis of breast cancer

A hysteresis loop analysis (HLA) method for breast cancer diagnosis based on a non-invasive digital imaging elasto-tomography (DIET) screening system is evaluated using data from 3 clinical trial patients, comprising 2 healthy breasts and 4 breasts with cancer. The identified mechanical nominal stiffness with ∼2x higher values compared to healthy tissue stiffness localized the correct cancerous area (CA) or tumor location, matching the mammography detection for all 4 breasts with cancer. The difference in identified stiffness varies across different frequencies and individuals. However, the identified stiffness for all healthy breasts and/or health tissue regions are consistent across frequencies, avoiding false positive diagnosis. The overall approach can be implemented automatically without requiring a skilled operator, thus reducing the screening cost.