Mechanical Characterization of Breast Tissue Constituents for Cancer Assessment

Breast elastography is a method of cancer detection that uses the response of soft tissue to deformations, leading to discovery of abnormalities. The methods of Clinical Breast Examination and Breast Self-Examination are based primarily on stiffness and, hence, on the mechanics of tissue constituents examined by palpation (Goodson, 1996). However, little is known about the mechanical characteristics of breast tissue under compression and the contribution of tissue mechanics to breast cancer detection. This study focuses therefore on tissue characterization and on identification of the relationship between tissue properties and pathological mechanics via offering an elastography technique based on the Yeoh hyperelastic model. The strength of the Yeoh model has been validated through compression testing of breast phantoms (small and large sizes), animal tissues, and in-vivo human tissues. The proposed method provides thresholds for the mechanical properties of soft tissues, which are useful in medical applications.