Modeling breast biomechanics for multi-modal image analysis-successes and challenges

Abstract

Biomechanical modeling of the breast is a burgeoning research field that has potential uses across a wide range of healthcare applications. This review describes recent developments regarding multi-modal breast image analysis, and outlines some of the key challenges that researchers face in introducing themodels into the clinical arena. Deformable breast models have demonstrated capabilities across a wide range of breast cancer diagnoses and treatments. Specific applications include magnetic resonance (MR) image guided surgery, registration of x-ray and MR images, and breast reduction/augmentation surgery planning. Challenges lie in improving the fidelity of these models, which are presently..