Impact of Lesion Vascularisation on Tumour Detection Using Electrical Impedance Scanning
Author Information
Author(s): Malich A MD, Scholz B PhD, Kott A MD, Facius M MD, Fischer DR MD, Freesmeyer MG MD
Primary Institution: Department of Biomedical Imaging, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Malaysia
Hypothesis
Does the vascularisation of lesions influence the specificity of electrical impedance scanning (EIS) in detecting breast tumours?
Conclusion
Vascularisation influences the measurable conductance at low frequency and therefore partially causes the insufficiently low specificity of EIS.
Supporting Evidence
- 89 out of 113 malignant lesions were detected by EIS.
- DCE-MRI showed a sensitivity of 97% and specificity of 81%.
- Specificity of EIS increased significantly with decreased vascularity.
Takeaway
This study looked at how blood flow in tumours affects the ability of a special scanning technique to find them. It found that more blood flow can make it harder to tell if a lump is cancerous.
Methodology
Patients underwent electrical impedance scanning and DCE-MRI prior to histological clarification, with a focus on the relationship between vascularisation and EIS results.
Potential Biases
Skin artefacts and other benign structures may induce false positive results in EIS.
Limitations
The study design does not imply a direct cause-effect relationship between vascularisation and EIS specificity.
Participant Demographics
113 malignant and 182 benign findings were included in the analysis.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.01
Statistical Significance
p<0.01
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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