New radiation-free method could revolutionize breast cancer diagnosis
New technology based on 3D ultrasound and supercomputers could radically change the diagnosis of breast cancer. This innovative method, developed as part of the European QUSTom project, combines 3D tomographic ultrasound, supercomputers and artificial intelligence. more accurate and painless diagnosis without the use of radiation.
According to the doctor, the procedure uses a 3D ultrasound CT scanner to produce high-quality images without the need to compress the chest or use X-rays. Ana Rodriguez, Head of the Women’s Radiology Service at Val d’Hebron Hospital, this instrument can do mammographytraditionally considered an aggressive test, much more convenient for patients.
The patient is placed comfortably face down, the chest is immersed in a container of water at a temperature of 36.5°C. Several 3D ultrasound images of each breast are taken over about seven minutes. This data is transferred to a supercomputer for processing.
Josep de la Puente, a researcher at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center, explains that ultrasound data is processed using advanced supercomputing technology to create real, high-quality 3D images. “Although it may seem complex and futuristic, we are doing it here and now,” he says. This method is especially beneficial for women with dense breast tissue, which accounts for 40% of women worldwide.
Clinical trials of this technique are being carried out at the Val d’Hebron hospital. with patients from the breast cancer early detection program, in particular women from 50 to 69 years old. In addition to regular mammography, they will be asked to take part in this study to evaluate the effectiveness of the new technique.
QUSTom, European project
The QUSTom project collaborates with partners from the UK, Germany, Slovenia and Spain and brings together physicists, engineers, computer scientists, oncologists and radiologists. The 3D USCT III tomograph used was designed and manufactured by the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in Germany and is the only complete device of its type in the world.
The BSC-CNS MareNostrum 5 supercomputer plays a key role in processing the collected data, running around 50,000 ultrasound wave simulations for each image. This allows you to create a digital twin of breast tissue, providing a three-dimensional map with a detailed description of the tissue properties in each pixel, which significantly increases the accuracy of diagnosis.
Breast cancer is one of the most common tumors in the world, According to the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM), 2.3 million women were diagnosed in 2020, and 700,000 deaths occurred in the same year. Approximately half of the cases occur in women without specific risk factors beyond gender and age.
This new method not only promises to improve the accuracy of early detection of breast cancer, but also has the potential to replace existing methods such as mammography, reducing exposure to ionizing radiation and increasing patient comfort during the examination.
More volunteers will be recruited to take part in this innovative project in the coming weeks. May mark a ‘before’ and ‘after’ in the fight against breast cancerproviding a safer and more accurate alternative to millions of women around the world.