Tissue Dielectric Constant Differentials between Malignant and Benign Breast Tumors.

Introduction: This study's purpose was to characterize tissue dielectric constant (TDC) values of malignant and benign breast tumors and assess the potential utility of TDC differentials to help distinguish between malignant and benign tumors.

Methods: Prior to their diagnostic biopsy, TDC was measured at 300 MHz in 59 women with previously detected breast tumors. TDC measurements were made by touching skin directly over the tumor and on the non-affected breast with a hand-held 22 mm diameter probe.

Breast Tissue Dielectric Constant as a Potential Breast Edema Assessment Parameter.

Many methods can quantitatively assess limb lymphedema, but methods to assess breast edema/lymphedema are quite limited. Thus, there is a need for a convenient and accurate way to quantify and track changes in this condition. Herein, breast tissue dielectric constant (TDC) values that depend on tissue water were used to obtain reference TDC values and interbreast TDC ratios.

Patterns of temporal changes in tissue dielectric constant as indices of localized skin water changes in women treated for breast cancer: a pilot study.

Background: Our goal was to characterize temporal patterns of skin Tissue Dielectric Constant (TDC) as a foundation for possible TDC use to detect and quantify lymphedema. Although limb volumes and bioimpedance analysis (BIA) are used for this purpose, potential TDC-method advantages are that it can be done in about 10 seconds at any body site to depths from 0.5 to 5.

Assessing localized skin-to-fat water in arms of women with breast cancer via tissue dielectric constant measurements in pre- and post-surgery patients.

Background: Skin-to-fat tissue dielectric constant (TDC) values at 300 MHz largely depend on tissue water and provide a rapid way to assess skin water by touching skin with a probe for approximately 10 s. This method has been used to investigate lymphedema features accompanying breast cancer (BC), but relationships between TDC and nodes removed or symptoms is unclear. Our goals were: (1) to compare TDC values in BC patients prior to surgery (group A) and in patients who had BC-related surgery (group B) to determine if TDC of group B were related to nodes removed and reported symptoms and (2) to develop tentative lymphedema-detection thresholds.

Local tissue water in at-risk and contralateral forearms of women with and without breast cancer treatment-related lymphedema.

Background: Quantitative measurements to help detect incipient or latent lymphedema in patients at risk for breast cancer treatment-related lymphedema (BCRL) are potentially useful supplements to clinical assessments. Suitable measurements for routine use include arm volumes, arm bioimpedance, and local tissue water (LTW) determined from the tissue dielectric constant (TDC). Because BCRL initially develops in skin and subcutis, measures that include whole arms may not be optimally sensitive for detecting the earliest changes.