Early-stage stomach cancer detection using ultrasound full-waveform inversion: a numerical study

Stomach cancer is the fifth most common cancer and the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally. Early detection is crucial for improving survival rates and treatment outcomes. Current imaging methods like CT, MRI, and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) have limitations such as low sensitivity for early tumours, ionizing radiation, high costs, and invasiveness, which limit their use in broad population screenings. Ultrasound imaging could address these challenges, but conventional methods lack sufficient image quality for stomach imaging. This study investigates the potential of full-waveform inversion (FWI), an advanced imaging algorithm from seismology, for improving ultrasound stomach imaging. Simulation results with a simplified numerical abdomen phantom show promising potential.