The intern will analyze blood samples of patients with high-risk prostate cancer. The cancer cells will be isolated from the blood sample and the genetic material will be stained and then imaged by a high-intensity-high-focus 3D microscope. Next, the telomeres (ends of genes) will be studied and compared. The point is to see the progression of cancer cells in the blood at the time of diagnosis and then also after treatment has been given. The results will be useful in predicting possible screening methods that are much more economical and less invasive.

In Canada, 25,500 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2011, and 4,100 will die of the disease. New approaches are required to predict clinical outcome and personalized management of patients. Drs. Mai and Cayre will combine their two newly developed technologies and work towards obtaining a new solid biomarker that enables the assessment  of a patient’s clinical outcome from the start. With the use of special filters, circulating tumour cells (CTC) will be isolated from prostate cancer patients’ blood.

Microwave tomography (MWT) is a relatively new imaging modality that uses electromagnetic radiation to illuminate an object. Using the scattered field by the object of interest, MWT reconstructs the image of the object. We have been doing research on this topic for a few years and we have successfully developed several computational-imaging algorithms and experimental tomography systems at our imaging lab of the University of Manitoba. In order to increase the accuracy of measurements and calibration procedure, we want to increase the number of probing sites in the system.

The research to be conducted involves the development of new technology that can detect breast cancer tumours using microwave technology. The necessary mathematical research to perform microwave imaging of the breast will be pursued together with the hardware design needed for such a system. The expertise and academic goals of the two interns offer a combination that will benefit this project.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is new optical imaging technique similar to ultrasound imaging. It has ten to 100 times higher resolution than ultrasound and a penetration depth of 4-6 millimeters. The use of light is safer to most biological samples than X-\rays or gamma rays, and it also allows for chemical characterization of tumours in tissue. CancerCare Manitoba is interested in using OCT for early detection of breast cancer.

During the last few years, Breast Microwave imaging (BMI) has shown its potential as an alternative technique for breast cancer detection. BMI offers a variety of features, such as a high contrast between cancer and breast tissue and non-compressive image acquisition procedures which would make its use desirable in a clinical environment. Due to the fact that target reflections present different travel times and the collected data is a function of the arrival time and scan location, the recorded responses must be reconstructed in order to be properly visualized and interpreted.

Existing screening techniques for detecting breast cancer like X-ray Mammography, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), and Computer Assisted Tomography (CT) have some drawbacks, such as the inability to detect cancer at early stage, over sensitivity or requirement of breast compression. A new approach that has the potential to overcome these shortcomings is Ultra Wide Band (UWB) microwave imaging. This imaging method is based on solving Maxwell’s equation to determine dielectric properties profile with known electric field measured by antennas surrounding the breast.