Recent Advances in Photoacoustic Imaging of Breast Cancer

Photoacoustic imaging (PAI) has emerged as a promising modality for enhancing breast cancer diagnosis and treatment monitoring. By leveraging the distinct optical absorption properties of hemoglobin, PAI combines functional and anatomical information, offering a noninvasive and high-resolution approach to visualizing breast tumors. Numerous clinical trials and studies have demonstrated the potential of PAI in detecting breast tumors and guiding therapeutic decisions based on physiological markers. This book chapter reviews recent advances in PA-based breast imaging. We classified the imaging system based on the patient’s pose and summarized the key features and capabilities of PAI for breast cancer imaging. The integration of ultrasound and PAI provides comprehensive insights into tumor characteristics, enabling accurate assessment of morphology, vascularity, and functional parameters. The fusion of functional and anatomical insights makes PAI to be an innovative tool for early screening, diagnosis, and treatment monitoring of breast cancer. We believe that PAI has the potential to revolutionize breast cancer management, ultimately improving patient outcomes and transforming the landscape of breast cancer diagnostics and treatment.