Method and apparatus for detection of cancerous and precancerous conditions in a breast

A method for determining and characterizing precancerous and cancerous conditions in a breast, which includes the steps of:

• (a) digitizing at least one of a mammogram image data and a (scinti)mammogram image data;
• (b) manipulating at least one of said digitized mammogram image data and said digitized (scinti)mammogram image data to produce at least one of a mammogram ROI image data and a (scinti)mammogram ROI image data;
• (c) digitizing at least one of thermo-physiological data and an electro-physiological data of the breast;
• (d) manipulating at least one of thermo-physiological ROI data and electro-physiological ROI data signals indicative of precancerous and cancerous conditions in the breast;
• and
• (e) concurrently displaying said ROI data.

An apparatus for detection and characterization of precancerous and cancerous conditions in a breast, which comprises:

• non-invasive means adhesively connected to the breast for sensing temperature in the breast characteristic of breast cancer formation and generating temperature signals in response thereto;
• first means for receiving and manipulating said signals to produce a digital output signal about said temperature signals indicative of breast cancer formation in a region of said breast, wherein said receiving and manipulating means includes a neural network having predetermined solution space memory trained on prior breast temperature signals taken over a circadian period, wherein said temperature signals are projected through said neural network to produce a generalization about said temperature signals, and wherein said generalization is used to produce said digital output signal;
• second means operably for digitally producing at least one of a mammogram, image data and a (scinti)mammogram image data of a breast taken in accordance with said output signal;
• third means operably associated with the second means for manipulating at least one of said digital output signal, said digitized mammogram image data and said (scinti)mammogram image data and generating at least one of a thermo-physiological ROI image data, a mammogram ROI image data and a (scinti)mammogram ROI image data indicative of precancerous and cancerous condition;
• and
• fourth means operably associated with said third means for concurrently visually displaying at least one of said digitized mammogram image data and said digitized (scinti)mammogram image data and at least one of said thermo-physiological ROI image data, said mammogram ROI image data and said (scinti)mammogram ROI image data in a superimposed manner.

A method for determining and characterizing precancerous and cancerous conditions in a breast, which includes the steps of:

• (a) directly sensing temperature of areas of a breast which have been predetermined highly susceptible to cancer development and generating temperature signals over a predetermined period;
• (b) manipulating said temperature signals through a neural network trained on prior breast temperature signals taken over said predetermined period to produce a first digitized output signal indicative of cancerous and precancerous conditions in said area of the breast, wherein said neural network includes a predetermined solution space memory indicative of precancerous and cancerous breast tissue and breast cancer;
• (c) digitizing at least one of a mammogram image data and a (scinti)mammogram image data;
• (d) manipulating at least one of said first digitized output, said digitized mammogram data and said (scinti)mammogram image data and a (scinti)mammogram ROI image data;
• and
• (e) concurrently displaying at least two of said ROI data.