Imaging tumor microenvironment with ultrasound.

Recent advances in molecular biology are providing new opportunities for breast cancer imaging. Our approach uses ultrasound to image viscoelastic features of tumors. These features describe microenvironmental factors that stimulate signaling pathways in tumors that ultimately affect metastatic potential and response to traditional therapeutics. This paper explains the motivation for the approach, describes measurements in phantoms and patients, and defines measurement sensitivity using hydrogels with tissue-like features.