Study on the breast cancer detection by UWB microwave imaging

Ultra-wide band (UWB) microwave imaging is a promising method for the breast cancer detection based on the large contrast of electric parameters between the malignant tumor and its surrounded normal breast organisms. In this study, the detection for a tumor which is located behind the gland is performed by the appropriate signal processing. The dispersion characteristics of the breast media are taken into account to approach the actual properties of the breast organism. The extraction process of the calibration waveform which is used as the reference of the tumor-free case is described in detail. By subtracting the calibration waveform from the signal detected for the tumor-contained case, the tumor response could be revealed. The tumor information displayed in the reconstructed breast image resulted from the confocal method agrees very well with the assumed tumor.