In addition, microwave imaging carries no danger of ionizing radiation exposure.
Microwaves interact with human tissues primarily according to water content.
Because malignant tumors have a much higher water content and more vascularization than normal breast tissue, microwaves can provide the basis for a highly sensitive detection system. In Hagness' research, low-power microwave pulses interrogate the tissue. Cancerous lesions back-scatter the pulses, producing a microwave echo. Measuring those echoes enables Hagness to develop a 3-D image of malignant tumors. The information will be used to develop a microwave sensor capable of detecting very small lesions and discriminating between malignant and benign cases.