High-frequency ultrasound for rapid detection of skin cancer and other pathologies: Studies on porcine tissue

Abstract

The Breast Cancer Research Laboratory at Utah Valley University has been developing high-frequency (HF) ultrasound (20–80 MHz) to differentiate between malignant and benign tissues. Results from our breast cancer clinical trials thus far are promising, with high sensitivities and specificities. The objective of this study was to determine whether HF ultrasound can provide pathology sensitive measurements for diagnosing skin cancer and distinguishing between tissue structures. Formalin-preserved porcine tissues were first used to test the feasibility of the approach. The results show that both spectral peak density and wave velocity were sensitive to structure, and that normal skin tissue was significantly discernible from other tissues. An 80-patient clinical study is currently being conducted at the Huntsman Cancer Institute with the collection of ultrasonic measurements from at least 320 skin biopsies. Multiple pulse-echo and through-transmission measurements are acquired from each biopsy specimen. The ultrasound data are correlated to conventional pathology to determine sensitivity and specificity. If successful, HF ultrasound may provide an earlier diagnosis of skin cancer and a rapid, intraoperative method for differentiating between melanoma and benign pathologies. By improving on current methods, HF ultrasound may provide dermatologists with faster and more accurate results, and thus better patient treatment and outcomes.