Breast Tissue Dielectric Constant (TDC) Assessed in Women Having a Breast Tumor Biopsy

Objective. Determine TDC values of female breasts and effects of benign vs. malignant tumors. Background. TDC values can assess breast-cancer-treatment-related lymphedema. However, little is known about how breast TDC values are impacted by tumor-type (benign vs. malignant). Methods. Women (N=38) scheduled for a breast biopsy participated. Prior to biopsy, TDC was measured at; a standard-site bilaterally, over the tumor-site and at a similar healthy-breast site. Standard-site was adjacent and superior to the areola. TDC was measured with a probe that touched a breast for 5-seconds. Malignant-tumor patients (14) were older with larger tumors. Results: Standard-siteTDC values of biopsied vs. healthy-breasts (mean ± SD) were similar (30.9±4.3 vs. 30.5±4.7, N=38, p=0.317) and overall equal to 30.7±4.5. Tumor- carrying breast tumor-site values were greater than for healthy-breasts (31.9±6.7 vs. 30.3±6.5, N=38, p=0.009). Malignant-tumor TDC values (N=14) were greater than for healthy-breasts (32.6±6.2 vs. 29.0±5.9, p=0.008). Breasts with benign-tumors (N=24), showed no difference in TDC values between tumor vs. other breast (31.5±7.0 vs. 31.2±6.7, p=0.280). TDC at malignant-tumors was higher than standard-sites, but not statistically different (32.6±6.2 vs. 30.4±3.3, p=0.173.) Corresponding values on benign-tumor breasts were 31.5±7.0 vs. 31.2±4.8, p= 0.843). Conclusion: Results provide reference TDC values for standardized breast sites useful as comparison values for future studies about breast edema due to breast-cancer-treatment. Additionally, results show slightly greater TDC values at malignant-tumor sites vs. the contralateral healthy-breast site. However, it is not clear as yet if this difference is sufficient to provide useful diagnostic sensitivity of tumor type