University of Waterloo researchers are pioneering a method to detect breast cancer in women early enough for them to receive life-saving treatment.
University of Waterloo researchers are pioneering a method to detect breast cancer in women early enough for them to receive life-saving treatment.
The innovative technology aims to be more accurate as well as cheaper to provide than today’s most common diagnostic tools such as X-ray mammography, ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Test runs have been completed in two minutes and used less energy than a smartphone. It would also be safer than X-rays, which expose patients to high-level radiation that can damage DNA and cause cancer.
“We are coming very close to providing a method for breast cancer detection at an early stage that is inexpensive and harmless for women,” said Dr. Omar Ramahi, lead researcher and a professor in Waterloo’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. “We’re trying to make a serious contribution to women’s health and create an alternative that is clinically and commercially viable.”
Breast cancer is both the second-most common cancer and the second-leading cause of death from cancer for Canadian women. The sooner a malignant tumour is detected, the better a woman’s chance of survival. Ramahi began exploring new ways to detect early-stage breast cancer in 2001 and, for the past five years, has been studying the potential of low-frequency electromagnetic waves.
Read more at University of Waterloo
Photo Credit: marijana1 via Pixabay
