Dielectric Differences in Biological Tissues: A Comparison Between Excised and Non-Excised Tissues Under the Influence of Chemotherapy

Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer worldwide. Currently, technologies based on electromagnetic fields can play a crucial role in monitoring systems. However, achieving precise dielectric characterization is essential to ensure result accuracy. The main objective of this article is to find differences between breast tissues with and without chemotherapy, through the analysis of tissue permittivity in-vivo and ex-vivo, aiming to explore monitoring possibilities during chemotherapy. For the experiment design, an open-ended coaxial probe (DAK 3.5) was used within a frequency range of 1 to 8 GHz, following a measurement protocol. The data obtained are from 30 volunteers and include measurements on healthy breast skin, breast tissue under the effects of chemotherapy, breast tissue with anomalies, mastectomy with and without chemotherapy. The measurements were taken at the end of their chemotherapy treatments. It was observed that permittivity decreased by 30% under the influence of chemotherapy, generating significant changes in breast skin tissues and on the tumor in mastectomies. These findings demonstrate the monitoring possibilities using these technologies.