A breakthrough in early breast cancer detection has been developed by an Omani researcher. Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Salim Al Husaini, an assistant professor at the Arab Open University in Oman, led the research. His team created a unique method to analyze temperature changes in the breast tissue layers to detect the disease. This technique focuses on how various factors, such as tumour size, depth, and blood flow, impact the heat distribution in the breast.
The research, titled “Influence of Tissue Thermophysical Characteristics and Situ-Cooling on the Detection of Breast Cancer,” was awarded the PhD category at the 11th National Research Award. This event, hosted by the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, and Innovation, recognized the study for its innovation and potential in improving early breast cancer detection.
The goal of this research is to enhance the accuracy of early breast cancer detection by studying temperature variations linked to tumours and cooling methods. Dr. Mohammed explained that detecting smaller or deeper tumours is challenging due to slight temperature changes. For example, the temperature difference between tumour-affected and healthy breasts ranged from 2.58°C to 0.274°C.
Larger breasts pose additional challenges, as they tend to reduce the thermal contrast, making it harder to detect tumours. On the other hand, smaller breasts may have trouble detecting tumours smaller than 0.5 cm. Tumours deep inside the breast often do not show noticeable temperature differences.
However, the study revealed that applying a cooling gel directly to the skin enhances thermal contrast, especially for deeper tumours. For instance, a tumour located 10 cm deep could show a 6°C temperature difference with the cooling gel. Without the gel, this result would not have been possible.
Dr. Mohammed emphasized the need for further clinical studies to validate these findings. He suggested integrating situ-cooling as an additional method to improve thermography-based breast cancer detection.
This study, published in Applied Sciences in 2023, includes contributions from several researchers. The team consists of Dr. Mohammed Al Husaini, Prof. Mohamed Hadi Habaebi, Dr. F.M. Suliman, Prof. Md Rafiqul Islam, Dr. Elfatih A.A. Elsheikh, and Dr. Naser A. Muhaisen.
Reflecting on the award, Dr. Mohammed expressed his gratitude and pride. He acknowledged the importance of their work in advancing non-invasive early breast cancer detection methods. He also shared that this recognition motivates his team to continue pushing the boundaries of innovation and improving early detection methods for breast cancer.
With this new technique, there is hope for more accurate, non-invasive detection methods that can help save lives by identifying breast cancer at earlier, more treatable stages.
