FDFD microwave modeling of realistic, inhomogeneous breast tissue based on digital breast tomosynthesis priors for cancer detection

A multi-modal, non-invasive technique for breast cancer detection is described. Digital Breast Tomosynthesis- Microwave imaging is presented as a method to improve tumor detection in breast tissue. Dielectric contrast between cancerous tissue and healthy high water content breast tissue is an order of magnitude greater than radiological contrast, but microwave imaging resolution is poorer than X-ray. Combining the two, DBT provides a high resolution, 3D image of the internal tissue structure, which can be used as a prior background model for finite difference frequency domain (FDFD) simulation for microwave imaging. By subtracting the modeled, assumed healthy background field from the measured field, inconsistencies generated by the lesion are highlighted and the tumor can be detected and located.