Description
- Abstract:
- Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent forms of cancer in the U.S. and incidence rates continue to rise. With increased access to routine imaging and screening, the detection of nonpalpable breast lesions, which cannot be detected through physical examination, has become increasingly common. Accurate localization of non-palpable lesions is critical for ensuring complete surgical excision, preventing metastasis, and reducing the need for reoperation. There are several existing localization techniques including wire localization, radioactive seeds, magnetic seeds, and intraoperative ultrasounds. Although these methods are able to guide surgeons in excising abnormal tissue, they have several limitations. These include invasiveness, interference with surgical equipment, high costs, and, in the case of radioactive seeds, radiation exposure. Furthermore, many of these techniques offer limited real-time feedback and insufficient depth resolution, particularly for deep-seated or small lesions. These limitations highlight the need for a more effective, non-invasive, and precise localization strategy. To address these challenges, we propose a novel method for improving the depth localization of nonpalpable breast lesions using A-scan ultrasound data. Specifically, we present a computational framework using finite element analysis (FEA) to model ultrasound wave propagation through breast tissue containing embedded tumors at varying depths and of varying sizes. This approach provides a non-invasive, patient-specific, and physics-informed strategy with the potential of enhancing and improving the ease of intraoperative procedures. Furthermore, in simulating how ultrasound signals change in response to tumor location, the approach demonstrates the feasibility of receiving and interpreting ultrasound data in real time to provide information on lesion presence, depth, and location.
- Notes:
- Thesis (Sc. M.)--Brown University, 2025
Citation
Palac, Karolina,
"Development of Method for A-Scan Ultrasound Localization of Solid, Nonpalpable Breast Lesions"
(2025).
Biomedical Engineering Theses and Dissertations.
Brown Digital Repository. Brown University Library.
https://repository.library.brown.edu/studio/item/bdr:9nj4xn6a/
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Collection:
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Biomedical Engineering Theses and Dissertations
Theses and Dissertations for the Biomedical Engineering department....