Engineering: Space age treatment

 

An imaging technique used by NASA to inspect the space shuttle could be used to predict the tissue damage often experienced by breast cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy.

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Researchers at Rush University Medical Center and Argonne National Laboratory in the US are collaborating on a study to examine the technology - 3D thermal tomography (3DTT) - in radiation oncology.
 
3DTT is a relatively new thermal imaging process that is currently being used as a non-invasive away to detect defects in composite materials. Thermal imaging involves applying heat or cold to a material and observing the resulting temperature change with an infrared camera to learn about its composition. 
 
Currently, the researchers are looking to see if 3DTT can detect the trigger of a skin reaction due to radiation treatment. The team are applying a flash of light to heat up the skin and using an infrared camera to capture a series of images over time to display the skin’s temperature.
 
“How quickly the skin cools is related to the structure underneath. Damaged skin cells have different effusivity values compared to that of healthy skin,” said James Chu, PhD and chairperson of medical physics at Rush. “By identifying the earliest changes in damaged tissue, we may be able to predict acute skin toxicities.”
 
Early results from the study are being displayed during the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting in Chicago, 1 – 5 November, 2009.

Saving lives

Meet the Role Models involved in treating breast cancer. 
 

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