1 International Space University , Houston, Texas.
2 International Space University , Sao Paulo, Brazil .
Telemed J E Health. 2017 Dec;23(12):1016-1022. doi: 10.1089/tmj.2016.0245. Epub 2017 May 24.
Space radiation can cause different types of cancers in crewmembers, especially during long-term space missions.
To date, a complete bilateral breast ultrasound has not been performed at the International Space Station (ISS). A breast screening imaging technique could be a useful tool for early identification of breast cancer in astronauts. We hypothesized that breast ultrasound performed by a crewmember while being remotely guided by a specialist from the ground could be an essential tool for medical diagnosis in space. This project aimed to test an ultrasound screening protocol for breast tissue using real-time remotely guided telemedicine techniques.
One female volunteer, with no previous medical experience, performed a self-scanned bilateral breast ultrasound exam guided by a remote sonographer. Dynamic ultrasound images were collected using a 25 mm broadband linear array transducer. To simulate fluid shift on the volunteer during microgravity, the bed was tilted -6°.
Recorded ultrasound images were analyzed by radiologists, comparing the findings with a gold standard. The experiment demonstrated that real-time remotely guided sonography exam is feasible and can yield meaningful clinical results.
This case study showed that remotely guided breast ultrasound can be performed and might become an important tool for diagnosis of breast cancer in space missions.
The results cannot be generalized based on one subject, and additional research is warranted in this area in addition to its validation on the ISS. This technique, however, has potential for use as part of preventive medicine procedures for long-term space missions at the ISS, and eventually for human settlements on the Moon and Mars.
太空辐射会导致宇航员患上不同类型的癌症，尤其是在长期的太空任务中。
迄今为止，国际空间站（ISS）尚未进行过完整的双侧乳房超声检查。乳房筛查成像技术可能是早期发现宇航员乳腺癌的有用工具。我们假设，由机组人员在地面专家的远程引导下进行的乳房超声检查，可以成为太空医学诊断的重要工具。本项目旨在测试使用实时远程引导远程医疗技术的乳房组织超声筛查方案。
一名没有先前医疗经验的女性志愿者在远程超声技师的指导下进行了双侧乳房的自我扫描超声检查。使用 25mm 宽带线性阵列换能器采集动态超声图像。为了模拟志愿者在微重力下的体液转移，床被倾斜了-6°。
由放射科医生对记录的超声图像进行分析，将结果与金标准进行比较。该实验表明，实时远程引导的超声检查是可行的，并且可以产生有意义的临床结果。
这项案例研究表明，远程引导的乳房超声检查是可行的，并且可能成为太空任务中诊断乳腺癌的重要工具。
由于仅对一名受试者进行了研究，因此不能基于这一结果进行推广，除了在国际空间站上进行验证外，还需要在该领域进行更多的研究。然而，这项技术有可能成为国际空间站长期太空任务预防性医学程序的一部分，最终也可能用于月球和火星上的人类住区。
