Measurement and Analysis of Complex Permittivity of Breast Cancer in Microwave Band.

In order to obtain the basic data of breast cancer detection by microwave imaging, the complex permittivity of tissue excised from a breast cancer surgery was measured and analyzed. The relative permittivity and the conductivity of each tissue have strong linearity. In 80% of cases the relative dielectric constant and conductivity of the cancer tissue were higher than those in the breast tissue. However, in the remaining 20% case (scirrhous carcinoma) the dielectric constant and conductivity of the mammary gland were higher in those of cancer. We found that it is necessary to examine diagnostic approach of the reconstructed image by microwave imaging.