In spite of the remarkable progress that has been made against cancer, the battle is far from over. It is estimated that there are 175,000 new female breast cancer cases, annually, and 40,000 deaths resulting from it in the U. S. In fact, breast cancer incidence rates have shown little change in the 1990s, while breast cancer death rates have been declining about 2percentperyearsince1990[Riesetal. ,1999]. Modernmammographyisrelieduponmost often for breast cancer screening. Mammograms can detect most breast cancers, but they miss some. Its accuracy and sensitivity are age and breast density dependent. For example, the false negative rate is about 25% for women under age 50, with invasive breast cancer [Kerlikowske et al. , 1996; 1997]. It reduces to 10% for women more than 50 years of age. Although the amount of radiation exposure during mammography is minimal - about the same as receiving a dental x-ray, the radiation from mammograms can cause additional breast cancer deaths [Feig, 1996; NIH, 1997]. (It has been estimated that if 10,000 women have yearly mammograms for ten years, the radiation from mammograms will cause one additional breast cancer death. ) Because the absolute bene?t of screening women aged 40 to 49 years is small and there is concern that the harm may be substantial, there have been suggestions that these women should be informed about the potential bene?ts and risks of screening mammography [Kerlikowske, 1997].
Advances in Electromagnetic Fields in Living Systems, published by Springer since 1994, presents state-of-the-art discussions in electromagnetism that influence the activities of living organisms. This focus affirms Springer's commitment to publish important reviews to add to the scientific and professional literature significant research larger in scope than journal articles.
Advances in Electromagnetic Fields in Living Systems , Volume 4 begins with fetal magnetocardiography (fMCG), a noninvasive method of detecting components of the magnetic field produced by the electrical activity of the fetal heart. FMCG is experiencing steady growth, and is expected to gain influence in diagnosing certain congenital fetal heart defects while at the same time providing optimal care for patients. FMCG provides a distinct signal, free of maternal cardiac interference, which can be detected throughout the last half of pregnancy.
Other Key Topics:
-Noninvasive biomedical application of non-ionizing electromagnetic energy,
-Microwave thermoelastic imaging uses microwave-pulse-induced thermoelastic pressure waves to form planar or tomographic images,
-Mechanisms of light-tissue interaction in the near infrared region and different types of instruments used for diffuse optical imaging,
-Advances in reliable laser diodes and optical telemetry,
-ELF magnetic-field exposure and the pain system,
-Cyclotron resonance in enhancing the sensitivity of biological systems to magnetic fields.
Advances in Electromagnetic Fields in Living Systems will be essential reading for all academics, bench scientists, and industry professionals wishing to take advantage of the latest and greatest in this continuously emerging field.
About the Editor:
Dr. James C. Lin is Professor of Electrical Engineering, Professor of Bioengineering, and Professor of Physiology and Biophysics at the University of Illinois - Chicago. Among other honors, Dr. Lin is a Fellow of IEEE, Fellow of AAAS, a Founding Fellow of AIMBE, and a recipient of the d'Arsonval Medal from the Bioelectromagnetics Society.
