A novel ultrasonic method for measuring breast density and breast cancer risk

摘要: Women with high mammographic breast density are at 4- to 6-fold increased risk of developing cancer compared to women fatty breasts. However, current estimations rely on mammography, which cannot provide accurate volumetric representation. Therefore, we explored two techniques evaluation via ultrasound tomography. A sample 93 patients was imaged our clinical prototype; each dataset contained 45-75 tomograms ranging from near the chest wall through nipple. Whole acoustic velocity determined by creating image stacks and evaluating sound speed frequency distribution. Ultrasound percent (USPD) was determined by segmenting areas tomogram using k-means clustering, integrating over the entire breast, dividing total area. Both were independently evaluated mammographic density measures: (1) qualitative, a radiologist's visual assessment BI-RADS Categories, (2) quantitative, via semi-automatic segmentation calculate (MPD) for craniocaudal and medio-lateral oblique mammograms. ~140 m/s difference in observed between dense BI-RADS Categories. Increased found Category quantitative MPD. Furthermore, strong positive associations USPD, Category, calculated MPD observed. These results confirm that utilizing speed, both whole-breast locally, can be implemented evaluate density.