Advantages and Disadvantages of Using an Infrared Imaging System for Breast Cancer Detection

Abstract

The breast is an important part of the human body because this organ represents the Femininity sign for females in general and the milk production system for neonatal nutrition in especial. The breast cancer represents about 11.6% of newly recorded cases [1] where the newly recorded cases reached (2,500,000) cases globally in 2022(i.e. 290,000 new cases of breast cancer were recorded in 2022).

The breast cancer in its late stages is a dangerous disease that may lead to mastectomy (total or partial) or death while the early diagnosis can be cured easily and faster than a late-stage diagnosis. Infrared Imaging systems provide a non-invasive, safe, accepted cost, and no radiation procedure [2] for the early diagnosis purpose as well as it reliable complementary diagnostic tool.

Each living organism has a temperature higher than absolute zero (23 C°) [3] and emits particular infrared radiation associated with its overall metabolic activity. The temperature pattern of a normal and healthy human body is bilaterally symmetrical along the sagittal axis [4]. Malignant proliferation within the human body can disrupt its regular functioning due to its aberrant development without regulation of the DNA, resulting in alterations in its thermal pattern. In addition to its advantages as a non-radiation, no-touch, non-invasive, and recognized cost diagnostic technique, thermal imaging [5] [6] (i.e. functional imaging) can help diagnose cancer at the precancerous or early stage. Also, thermography has advantages and disadvantages that will be discussed briefly in the discussion and conclusion.