No abstract

Sound velocity may add complementary information to echogenicity (B-scan). Because fat lobules exhibit low ultrasound velocity and carcinomas do not, a locally exact combination of ultrasound velocity information and reflexivity information should allow improved breast cancer detection by ultrasound.

We conclude that ultrasound velocity may add complementary information to echogenicity (B-scan). Thus, a locally exact correlation of echogenicity and sound velocity might allow for an improved tissue characterization.

Thermoinactivation is under investigation as a new method of cancer treatment. Prior histopathologic verification has been indispensable. Our experiments show that thermoinactivation is in principle possible without destroying histopathologic morphology, if the temperature stays within certain limits. It could thus become applicable already before diagnostic biopsy, which might be used to avoid any potential spread during biopsy and before definitive surgery.

In a study, a radiofrequency (RF) treatment was performed on a patient with a small breast cancer after vacuum biopsy. As usual in cases with a malignant diagnosis, surgical excision and axillary dissection followed. Histopathology revealed some residual tumor in the margin of the cavity. It could not be distinguished from vital tumor on the hematotoxylin eosin (HE) stain. Based on the correlation of MRI and histopathology after subsequent surgical excision, we did, however, presume that the residual was contained within the zone of inactivation. Thus the hypothesis arose that, if too high temperatures can be avoided, it might be possible to inactivate tumor cells without significantly impairing histopathologic assessment. This hypothesis was supported by the following in vitro experiment performed on a fresh specimen: An RF treatment was performed using temperatures up to 70 degrees C only. Half of the specimen underwent HE-staining, the other half vitality testing. The results indicate that if a given temperature range is strictly observed it appears possible to inactivate tissue before tissue sampling, since histopathologic diagnosis will not be impaired. Further technologic improvements may eventually allow to develop a pre-treatment method which might permit to avoid potential hematogenous tumor spread during subsequent biopsy.