Resonant spectra of malignant breast cancer tumors using the three-dimensional electromagnetic fast multipole model.

This paper presents an intensive numerical study of the resonance scattering of malignant breast cancer tumors. The three-dimensional electromagnetic model, based on the equivalence theorem, is used to obtain induced electric and magnetic currents on breast and tumor surfaces. The results show that the nonspherical malignant tumor can be characterized, based on its spectra, regardless of orientation, incident polarization, or incident or scattered directions. The spectra of the tumor depend solely upon its physical characteristics (i.e., shape and electrical properties); however, their locations are not functions of the depth of the tumor beneath the breast surface. This paper can be a guide in the selection of the frequency range at which the tumor resonates to produce the maximum signature at the receiver.