Cancer Detection Using Printed Antenna Placed on Human Breast Model

In this study electromagnetic properties of female human breast were used for cancer tissue detection. Deviation of the malignant cells’ properties from those of healthy cells’ directly affect the performance of an antenna placed on the breast. Return loss, gain and directivity of an antenna designed on an FR4 substrate were used as parameters for studying the effects of the normal and cancerous tissues. Planar and hemispherical shaped, multilayer breast models, composed of skin, fat and part of the connected lymph nodes were modeled and designed. The antenna was designed, fabricated, and return loss measurements were taken by a network analyzer (Rohde & Schwarz ZWB20). Separate measurements were taken in free space and when placed on a healthy human breast. Simulations of normal breast models carried out by CST Microwave Studio were in a good agreement with the measured results. Tumors in breast and lymph nodes with different sizes and numbers defined according to American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) were used to model the first and second stages of cancer. The presented work is shown to be a promising method for breast cancer studies, thereby reducing the need for invasive surgical operations. Keywords: Breast cancer, Microstrip antenna, Biomedical.