基于开端同轴探头技术的肺癌转移和非转移淋巴结介电特性

Analysis of dielectric properties of metastatic and non-metastatic lymph nodes from lung cancer surgeries using an open-ended coaxial probe

目的本文通过测量来自肺癌手术的淋巴结介电特性,研究肺癌转移和非转移淋巴结的介电特性(相对介电常数和电导率)差异。方法使用开端同轴探头法,在1 MHz^4 GHz频率范围内,对76名肺癌患者手术中切除下来的淋巴结进行介电特性测量,然后对照病理结果将淋巴结分成转移淋巴结和非转移淋巴结两类,又将转移淋巴结分为肺鳞癌转移淋巴结和肺腺癌转移淋巴结两类,在全频段和6个特定频率点(64、128、298、433、915、2450 MHz)分别分析其介电特性差异。结果在1 MHz^4 GHz频率范围内转移淋巴结的介电特性值明显高于非转移淋巴结。肺鳞癌转移淋巴结和肺腺癌转移淋巴结介电特性不具有明显差异。在6个频率点,转移和非转移淋巴结的介电特性差异具有统计学意义(P<0.01)。结论开端同轴探头技术虽不能鉴别出淋巴结由何种肺癌细胞转移而来,但能很好的检测出肺癌转移和非转移淋巴结介电特性差异,有望为临床上鉴别淋巴结是否转移提供一种全新的检测依据。

Objective To investigate the differences in dielectric properties(relative dielectric constant and conductivity)between metastatic and non-metastatic lymph nodes(LNs). Methods An open-end coaxial probe(1 MHz to 4 GHz) was used to measure the dielectric properties of the LNs obtained from 76 lung cancer patients. According to the results of pathological examination, the LNs were divided into metastatic and non-metastatic LNs, and the metastatic LNs were divided into lung squamous cell carcinomas and adenocarcinoma. The differences in dielectric properties of the LNs were analyzed at 1 MHz to4 GHz and at 6 single frequencies(64, 128, 298, 433, 915, and 2450 MHz). Results The metastatic LNs showed higher dielectric properties than non-metastatic LNs in the frequency range from 1 MHz to 4 GHz. No significant differences were found in the dielectric properties between metastatic LNs of lung squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. At the 6 single frequencies, the metastatic and non-metastatic LNs showed significant differences in their dielectric properties(P<0.01).Conclusion The open-ended coaxial probe technology is not capable of identifying the pathological type of the primary lung cancer from which the metastatic LNs are derived, but it can identify the differences in dielectric properties between metastatic and non-metastatic LNs, and thus provide a reliable means for identification of LN metastasis of lung cancer.