Barcelona Supercomputing Center uses radiation-free technology to detect breast cancer

He Barcelona Supercomputing Center started in Hospital Val d’Hebron (Barcelona) clinical validation involving patients from non-radiation technique For Early detection of breast cancer, Both centers said this Wednesday in a statement.

The goal is supplement and improve the diagnosis of breast cancer, and “potentially” replace current diagnostic methods that use X-rays, such as mammography.

Conduct clinical validation of the new tool in the coming weeks. they will be recruiting volunteers among women participating in the program “Screening for early detection of breast cancer”

from the Val d’Hebron hospital.

The creation of the methodology is part of the European project QUSTom, which uses 3D ultrasound computed tomography (3D USCT III) for image acquisition, and a MareNostrum 5 supercomputer to apply the algorithms and perform approximately 50,000 ultrasound wave simulations for each reconstructed image.

Mother’s digital double

“We will be pioneers in this thanks to use of MareNostrum 5″, stated BSC physicist and project coordinator Josep de la Puente, who explained that this method creates digital twin of breast tissue and from ultrasonic measuring device.

Among the advantages of this new technology, they highlight that it “completely harmless” because it does not use any type of radiation and offers excellent image quality

appears to be particularly useful in patients with dense breast tissue that makes tumor detection difficult, in whom They represent 40% of women worldwide.

The head of the women’s radiology service, Val d’Hebron, emphasized that this new diagnostic tool will offer “a more complete picture from a functional point of view and multiparametric to avoid the use of ionizing radiation and improve women’s comfort during annual radiology examinations.

Procedure

The application of the technique is place the patient face down on the bed, while his mother is immersed in a container full of water temperature 36.5°C for approximately 3 minutes. and then use Ultrasound take data from each breast separately.

Recorded data transferred to computer and after several hours and thousands of simulations software

used in supercomputer generates high quality true 3D images, which will be analyzed by doctors and contribute to a more accurate diagnosis.

The consortium participating in the QUSTom project, with the participation of partners from UK, Germany, Slovenia and Spain, It brings together physicists, engineers, computer scientists, oncologists and radiologists.