Impedance Scanning for Breast Cancer

Earlier studies have demonstrated that the technique, which takes approximately 10 minutes and does not require frequently uncomfortable breast compression, can identify extremely small tumors, according to its developers, Z-Tech, Inc. (Charleston, SC, USA).

The study was comprised of about 4,500 women, and will determine whether the device, which generates a report instead of a breast image, is accurate enough for widespread use, according to Dr. James H. Craft, chief investigator of the study and a radiologist at the Medical College of Georgia (Augusta, GA), one of the centers in which the device is currently being evaluated.

Impedance scanning involves positioning a flower-shaped grouping of electrodes with a hole in the center for the nipple over each breast. A small amount of electricity is delivered through the breast and a computer immediately calculates and produces findings based on benchmarks for negative and positive results. Rather than waiting for a radiologist for examine a mammogram, the computer immediately notes whether the image is homologous electrical difference analysis- (HEDA)-negative, meaning no cancer was detected, or positive.

It has been known for quite a while that when a tumor occurs in the breast, the impedance of electricity through that site is decreased, according to Dr. Craft. Seemingly, cell permeability increases so water flows through the cells more than in normal tissue. The electrical signature of that tissue is different. Electrocardiographs, which have been utilized for years to evaluate heart muscle, are also based on the hypothesis that healthy and diseased tissue conduct electricity differently.

HEDA does not utilize radiation so it does not require lead-lined scan rooms, and is very portable, which enhances its user-friendliness in even the most remote regions of the world, according to Dr. Craft. It could be put in a van with a generator and could travel to screen a large number of women. HEDA may someday surpass mammography screening accuracy, especially in evaluating the dense breasts of younger women. Less-dense breasts appear darker in a mammography, making them easier for the radiologists to evaluate. Feasibly, if this study could be applied to younger women in the near future, tumors in women who are in their 20s can be more readily detected and thus save many lives inexpensively and without the radiation risk.

Exclusionary factors for HEDA include earlier breast surgery, anatomic abnormalities, nipple rings, and women who are breast feeding or pregnant. Possible side effects include localized irritation at the electrode site, an infrequent occurrence that usually resolves within 24 hours.





Related Links:
Z-Tech
Medical College of Georgia