3-D Microwave Magnitude Combined Tomography for Breast Cancer Detection Using Realistic Breast Models

Microwave imaging (MWI) is a feasible tool for medical imaging driven by its capability to discriminate between different types of tissues and abnormalities. Nowadays, a variety of reconstruction algorithms are investigated, mainly based on complex and time-consuming iterative schemes. Considering a future patient use, an algorithm requiring tens of hours seems unrealistic. In this letter, a 3-D quasi real-time algorithm, inspired in a computationally efficient modified-Born method, is assessed for early-stage breast cancer detection using 3-D anthropomorphic breast phantoms. The algorithm uses multifrequency information over a portion of the UWB range to produce robust images with a fair tradeoff between resolution and penetration.