Sources of Absorption and Scattering Contrast for Near-Infrared Optical Mammography

doi:10.1016/S1076-6332(03)80529-9

Academic Radiology

Volume 8, Issue 3, March 2001, Pages 211-218

https://doi.org/10.1016/S1076-6332(03)80529-9 Get rights and content

Abstract

Rationale and Objectives

Near-infrared (NIR) diffuse optical spectroscopy and imaging may enhance existing technologies for breast cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment. NIR techniques are based on sensitive, quantitative measurements of functional contrast between healthy and diseased tissue. In this study, the authors quantified the origins of this contrast in healthy breasts.

Materials and Methods

A seven-wavelength frequency-domain photon migration probe was used to perform noninvasive NIR measurements in the breasts of 28 healthy women, both pre- and postmenopausal, aged 18–64 years. A diffusive model of light transport quantified oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin, water, and lipid by their absorption signatures. Changes in the measured light-scattering spectra were quantified by means of a “scatter power” parameter.

Results

Substantial quantitative differences were observed in both absorption and scattering spectra of breast as a function of subject age. These physiologic changes were consistent with long-term hormone-dependent transformations that occur in breast. Instrument response was not adversely affected by subject age or menopausal status.

Conclusion

These measurements provide new insight into endogenous optical absorption and scattering contrast mechanisms and have important implications for the development of optical mammography. NIR spectroscopy yields quantitative functional information that cannot be obtained with other noninvasive radiologic techniques.

Section snippets

Patient Selection

All volunteers enrolled in this study competently provided informed consent to participate in one of two trials (nos. 95-563 and 99-2183) under the guidelines of an Institutional Review Board. The 28 women ranged in age from 18 to 64 years. Fifteen of them were premenopausal (average age, 28 years ± 9), and seven were postmenopausal (average age, 56 years ± 2). The remaining six women (average age, 56 years ± 5) were taking some form of hormone replacement therapy (HRT); three of the six

Sensitivity: Pre- versus Postmenopausal Subjects

Both Figure 2, Figure 3 present a typical series of measurements of seven absorption and scattering coefficients, respectively. The points represent an average of several measurements in the center of the left upper outer breast quadrants in two subjects, a 32-year-old premenopausal woman and a 54-year-old postmenopausal woman. Error bars indicate the SDs of repeated measurements. There are vast absorption and scattering differences between pre- and postmenopausal breast tissue. The solid lines

Discussion

Although it is difficult to validate noninvasive in vivo measurements directly, our initial results indicate that the sensitivity of NIR spectroscopy is a reasonable reflection of long-term hormone-controlled breast remodeling. Additional work in the field has demonstrated that short-term menstrual cycle changes are detectible with a similar NIR technique (30). Our results indirectly validate the general accuracy of NIR breast spectroscopy. This quantitative physiologic information is not

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^☆: Supported by grants and gifts from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Laser Microbeam and Medical Program (RR-01192), the NIH (R29-GM50958), the Department of Energy (DOE DE-FG03-91ER61227), the Office of Naval Research (ONR N00014-91-C-0134), the California Breast Cancer Research Program, Avon, the U.S. Army Medical Research and Material Command (DAMD17-98-1-8186) (A.E.C.), the George E. Hewitt Foundation (A.J.B), and the Swiss National Science Foundation (F.B.).

¹: Current address: Institute of Optics, University of Rochester, NY.

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Original InvestigationSources of Absorption and Scattering Contrast for Near-Infrared Optical Mammography☆

Abstract

Rationale and Objectives

Materials and Methods

Results

Conclusion

Section snippets

Patient Selection

Sensitivity: Pre- versus Postmenopausal Subjects

Discussion

Biochim Biophys Acta

Am J Obstet Gynecol

Clin Radiol

Characterization of female breasts in vivo by time-resolved and spectroscopic measurements in near infrared spectroscopy

J Biomed Opt

Frequency-domain techniques enhance optical mammography: initial clinical results

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

Contrast features of breast cancer in frequency-domain laser scanning mammography

J Biomed Opt

Spectroscopic diffuse optical tomography for the quantitative assessment of hemoglobin concentration and oxygen saturation in breast tissue

Appl Opt

Development of a time-domain optical mammograph and first in vivo applications

Appl Opt

Clinical optical tomography and NIR spectroscopy for breast cancer detection

IEEE J Sel Top Quant

Non-invasive in vivo characterization of breast tumors using photon migration spectroscopy

Neoplasia

Three-dimensional diffuse optical mammography with ultrasound localization in a human subject

J Biomed Opt

Concurrent MRI and diffuse optical tomography of breast after indocyanine green enhancement

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

Quantitative measurement of optical parameters in normal breasts using time-resolved spectroscopy: in vivo results of 30 Japanese women

J Biomed Opt

Identification and quantification of intrinsic optical contrast for near-infrared mammography

Photochem Photobiol

Noninvasive absorption and scattering spectroscopy of bulk diffusive media: an application to the optical characterization of human breast

Appl Phys Lett

Physiological and pathological factors of human breast disease that can influence optical diagnosis

Ann N Y Acad Sci

Original Investigation
Sources of Absorption and Scattering Contrast for Near-Infrared Optical Mammography☆