Shear Wave Elastography and Finite Element Method: A Combined Approach for Characterizing Breast Tissue Stiffness

Abstract

One of the newest ultrasound imaging methods, Shear Wave Elastography (SWE), quantitatively evaluates soft tissue stiffness by capturing the velocity of shear waves that traverse through it. Its high diagnostic accuracy, especially in detecting and characterizing breast cancer, is useful clinically since malignant tumors are often much stiffer than benign or normal tissues. Although clinically useful, interpretation of SWE data requires a sophisticated understanding of wave-tissue interface problems which can be solved using Finite Element Method (FEM). FEM permits rigorous numerical modeling of sheer wave generation, propagation, and reflection in anatomy. In this work, integrated analysis of SWE and FEM modeling with focus on evaluation of breast tissues and simulation of guided waves is provided. The results corroborate the feasibility claim that combining SWE and FEM can enhance precision in diagnosis, inform clinical decisions, and refine non-invasive cancer evaluation procedures