Early breast tumor detection utilizing thermal time-response imaging

The dynamic breast skin temperature evaluation is investigated in the present work for the diagnosis of breast cancer at an initial stage. In particular, a realistic breast model, including a relatively small-sized tumor, is designed and thoroughly analyzed numerically in terms of the biological heat transfer equation. Initially, the skin surface temperature is measured for a steady-state scenario at normal conditions, indicating that a tumor behind the papilla corresponds to an almost physiological thermogram. For this reason, appropriate cooling stress is applied to capture the time-response of skin temperature throughout this procedure. Numerical results highlight that the contrast is enhanced thus facilitating an early diagnosis of breast cancer.