Physicians and engineers at Dartmouth are collaborating for the test of new imaging techniques involving magnetic resonance-guided near-infrared imaging to detect abnormalities in the breast including cancer. Results of this latest study appear in the May 22 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

The researchers explained that because of the sensitivity of infrared light to blood, they are able to locate and quantify regions of oxygenated deoxygenated hemoglobin by sending infrared light through breast tissue with a fiber optic array. This mechanism may help detect early tumor growth and even characterize the tumor stage by understanding its vascular and cellular make-up.

"The new integrated system allows us to quantify the hemoglobin, water, and scattering values of the tissues with NIR, while using the high resolution of MRI," says Pogue.

"For breast imaging, this new system means that we will be able to enhance the information that MRI provides by allowing us to image breast tumors with a completely different mechanism of contrast, namely hemoglobin, oxygen saturation, water, and optical scattering."

Read more at EurekAlert.