Tactile Mapping of Breast Palpation for Diagnosis, Documentation, and Training

Abstract

Breast palpation by clinicians is an effective examination frequently performed for breast cancer detection and treatment monitoring. The utilization of physical breast examination however has been hampered by its inherent subjective nature leading to: (1) the difficulty in interpreting the examiner's impressions of the perceived lump in the breast. and (2) the difficulty in documenting tactile characteristics of the tumor for subsequent examinations or monitoring. Based on the preliminary studies funded by an NCI grant award, the primary objective of this predoctoral training project is to advance an effective tactile mapping device (TMD) for a quantitative and objective characterization of breast cancer through breast palpation, showing that the TMD will improve physical breast examination in the ability to characterize tumor's biomechanics and increase the efficacy of early detection and treatment monitoring, thus leading to improved diagnosis and a reduction in breast cancer mortality. An equally important objective is to acquire a solid training for the trainee to gain experience necessary for developing a research career in breast cancer research.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 01, 2001
Accession Number
ADA398224

Entities

People

  • Rujirutana A. Srikanchana

Organizations

  • The Catholic University of America

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes
  • Sensors

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Breast Cancer
  • Computer Programs
  • Computer Vision
  • Computers
  • Detection
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Graphical User Interface
  • Measurement
  • Medical Personnel
  • Neoplasms
  • Neural Networks
  • Pressure Distribution
  • Robotics
  • Signal Processing
  • Spatial Distribution
  • Three Dimensional
  • User Interface

Fields of Study

  • Medicine

Readers

  • Brain and Cognitive Science; Experimental Psychology; Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Oncology
  • Systems Analysis and Design