Optoacoustic Imaging Detects Hormone-Related Physiological Changes of Breast Parenchyma.

Abstract

Optoacoustic (OA) imaging is an emerging low-cost hybrid imaging modality currently in clinical feasibility studies for breast cancer diagnosis and staging (1–7). The technique applies pulsed light to the tissue of interest, where molecules absorb the light photons and generate acoustic pressure waves. The resulting acoustic responses are detected using ultrasound transducers and converted into images. Image contrast within a pixel is dependent on the relative concentration and absorption characteristics (i.e. spectrum) of the chromophores within the illuminated tissue. Thus, tissue responses from illumination using multiple wavelengths, chosen to reflect the differential absorption of oxy, deoxy and total haemoglobin (Hb), can be measured. In turn, these signals can be regarded as surrogate measures of tissue hypoxia and neoangiogenesis, hallmarks of cancer associated with adverse outcomes in cancer patients (8–11).