Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis for Breast Cancer: Diagnosis, Prognosis, and Tissue Mapping

Breast cancer remains one of the most diagnosed malignancies, necessitating early detection and accurate prognostic assessment. Traditional imaging methods play a crucial role in screening but often lack specificity, particularly in patients with dense breast tissue. Histopathological examination is still the gold standard but is invasive and time-consuming. Bioelectrical impedance analysis is a promising non-invasive method for detecting malignancies by examining tissue electrical properties. The Cole relaxation frequency (CRF), derived from impedance spectroscopy, effectively differentiates malignant from benign breast tissue and serves as a strong prognostic marker. Elevated CRF values correlate with changes in cellular structure and membrane polarization, helping to predict recurrence risk and metastatic potential. Electrical Property Enhanced Tomography represents a significant advancement over traditional electrical impedance-based imaging techniques by integrating external anatomical imaging modalities to enhance spatial resolution. This method uses anatomical data to guide impedance-based reconstructions, thereby effectively reducing the error and instability commonly associated with conventional approaches. As a result, the accuracy of tissue property mapping is substantially improved. In addition, the structured placement of electrodes, combined with the application of a conductive bolus, contributes to greater measurement consistency and reliability. Beyond breast cancer, intraoperative CRF and other impedance-derived features, combined with AI-driven machine learning algorithms, have shown promise for surgical margin assessment in dermal tissues, improving precision and workflow efficiency. This review summarizes more than two decades of the authors’ work on the use of bioelectrical impedance in cancer research and clinical applications.