Muscat – A recent research breakthrough could help in the early detection of breast cancer, making it easier to identify even the smallest and deepest tumours.

Led by Dr Mohammed Abdullah Salim al Husaini, Assistant Professor at Arab Open University in Oman, the research used a cooling gel to improve thermal imaging techniques, offering hope for more accurate and non-invasive detection methods.

The research focused on understanding how temperature variations in breast tissue, influenced by factors such as tumour size, depth and blood flow, can aid in detecting breast cancer. By developing a numerical simulation model using COMSOL software, Husaini and his team were able to explore how these factors affect heat distribution in breasts of different sizes.

One of the research’s key findings is that smaller or deeper tumours are often difficult to detect due to minimal temperature differences. For example, tumours located deeper within the breast tissue or smaller than 0.5cm are particularly challenging to detect with conventional thermography, with temperature variations between tumour-affected and non-affected areas ranging from only 0.27°C to 2.58°C.

However, the research revealed that applying a situ-cooling gel significantly improves thermal contrast, especially for deeper tumours. In a simulation, a tumor located 10cm deep was detected with a 6°C temperature difference when the cooling gel was applied, a result that was unattainable through thermography alone.

“This breakthrough could greatly enhance the accuracy of early breast cancer detection,” said Husaini. “By improving thermal contrast with cooling techniques, we can detect tumours that might otherwise go unnoticed, especially in patients with larger breasts or those with tumours located deep within the tissue.”

Husaini added that while the results are promising, further clinical studies are required to validate the findings. He also emphasised the potential for situ-cooling to be integrated into existing thermography-based detection methods, offering a non-invasive approach to identifying cancer at its earliest stages.

The research, published in Applied Sciences in 2023, involved a team of experts from King Khalid University and International Islamic University Malaysia, and was awarded in the PhD category of the 11th National Research Award organised by Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation.