New device rings change for breast screening

Published on Wednesday 27 October 2010 17:03

BREAST cancer screening could become faster, cheaper and more effective using a new scanner that works like a mobile phone.

The device is so easy and safe to operate it could be installed in doctors' surgeries or used at home.

Instead of producing X-rays, the scanner emits radio waves similar to those generated by a mobile phone handset.

A tumour can be detected within a second from differences in the way diseased and healthy tissue react to the signals.

The device, consisting of a cup that fits over the breast, is as small as a lunchbox.

Experts believe it will be far better than a conventional mammogram at finding breast cancer in younger women.

As tumours are harder to spot in dense young breasts, the detection rate for women under the age of 50 can be as low as 60 per cent.

The scanner produces clear images that can be displayed on a laptop computer screen. Tumours or other abnormalities show up in red.

Professor Zhipeng Wu, from the University of Manchester, who invented the scanner, said: "The system we have is portable, and as soon as you lie down you can get a scan - it's real-time.

"The real-time imaging minimises the chance of missing a breast tumour during scanning.

"Other systems also need to use a liquid or gel as a matching substance, such as in an ultrasound, to work but with our system you don't need that - it can be done simply in oil, milk, water or even with a bra on.

"Although there is still research to be done, the system has great potential to bring a new way for breast cancer diagnosis."

How quickly the device can be marketed will depend on securing funding for clinical trials, said Prof Wu.

He added: "Although we do not yet have an exact cost of the device, it should be affordable and inexpensive because it uses the same electronics as in a mobile phone."