3D Techniques can help to diagnose Early Breast Cancer

Breast Cancer is the raging illness prevailing the recent times. This is the most widespread form of cancer after the lung cancer, its late diagnosis making it a complicated issue

An international team of researchers have developed a new X-ray technique that would allow 3D visualizations of the breast and detect tumours at early stages. Researchers revealed that the new technique known as Analyser-Based X-ray Imaging (ABI), with high spatial resolution, would help in detecting breast tumours with greater precision.

Currently, X-ray mammography is the most widely used tool in diagnostic radiology, but it fails to identify about 10 to 20 pct of palpable breast cancers, as some breasts, especially in young women, are very dense. Therefore, on mammograms, glandular tissues can mask cancer lesions. X-ray computed tomography (CT) could produce accurate 3D images of the entire breast, improving the detection of early diseases in dense breasts. However, its use in breast imaging is limited by the radiation dose delivered to a radiosensitive organ such as the breast.

The new ABI-CT technique has allowed scientists to overcome this problem. They have managed to visualize breast cancer with an unprecedented contrast resolution and with clinically compatible doses. During the study, the researchers used the new procedure on an in vitro specimen using a radiation dose similar to that of a mammography examination.

The dose corresponded to a quarter of that required for imaging the same sample with conventional CT scanner. They found that spatial resolution of the ABI images was seven times better. The research team chose a particularly challenging specimen: a breast invaded by a lobular carcinoma (a diffusely growing cancer), the second most common form of breast cancer, which is also very difficult to visualize in clinical mammography.

In this kind of sample, the determination of the extension of the cancer frequently fails in X-ray mammograms and ultrasonographs of the breast. However, the study showed that high-spatial-resolution ABI-CT makes visible small-size and low-contrast anatomic details that could otherwise only be seen by the microscopic study of an extracted sample of the breast tissue (histopathology).

"We can clearly distinguish more microcalcifications -small deposits of minerals which can indicate the presence of a cancer- than with radiography methods and improve the definition of their shapes and margins", said Jani Keyrilainen, main author of the paper. "If we compare the images with X-ray mammograms and conventional CT images, we can confirm that this technique performs extremely well", he adds," Jani Keyrilainen added. The results of this research appear today in the journal ¨Radiology¨.

This new breakthrough in the Breast cancer treatment and diagnosis is surely going to solve the various complications associated with the illness.

Credit Card Shaving: Scammers Go Low-Tech With Trick

Forget high-tech hacking. One new credit card scam relies more on X-Acto knives and glue sticks than wi-fi and laptops, but helps criminals steal your money just the same.

Shaving is a low-tech form of card theft where thieves sort through sets of 16-digit numbers to find one that matches an existing card, and then verifying that number either by trying to make a purchase online or by phone. The scammers can also buy a list of valid credit card numbers from black market sites online. Once they have their hands on a valid account number, they then create a new card with those numbers by shaving the numbers off of gift cards or expired credit cards and gluing them onto a defunct or stolen card. The magnetic strip is gouged with a knife or pen so that a store clerk has to manually enter the account number on a keypad, and the charge goes through.

If they're successful, months can pass before a cardholder discovers the fraud. After all, if your wallet hasn't been stolen and you haven't misplaced a card, you may be puzzled to discover that your card has been compromised even though it's safely tucked away the entire time.

While it might not be the simplest way to commit an identity theft, card shaving is on the rise. "Desperate times mean desperate measures," said Robert Siciliano, CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com and author of "The Safety Minute: Living on High Alert." "In this economy, we are seeing scams of all kinds resurfacing, including credit card shaving."

Both Merchants and Consumers Are Gatekeepers
Card shaving's growth comes partly as a reaction to increased high-tech credit card security steps, experts say. "As regulati¬ons and security tightened on electronic credit card processing networks, it became increasingly difficult for hackers to penetrate them," says Shyam Krishnan, an industry analyst with the Smart Cards group at Frost & Sullivan, a high-tech research and consulting firm. And so they turned to other low-tech scams, such as card shaving.

Because the scam requires clerks to enter the card number manually, merchants are the first line of defense in catching the perpetrators. These fraudulent cards usually look suspicious to begin with -- the numbers and letters often haphazardly glued on -- and that alone should raise red flags with store clerks and cashiers. However, many shaving scammers primarily use the cards in busy bargain stores where clerks are too harried to pay much attention and verification systems are so outdated that they don't require a matching ZIP code or other personal data.

"If merchants physically inspect all cards, they'll minimize the incidents of counterfeit cards being used," says Tom Harkins, chief strategy officer at Secure Identity Systems.

It's in the merchant's best financial interest to keep a watchful eye. After all, any charges made with the number would likely be disputed by the card's rightful owner, leaving the merchant with little option but to absorb the loss through a chargeback. That's why Siciliano recommends that merchants refuse service if the card doesn't scan. "Manually typing the card number in when there is even a hint of suspicion is risky," he says.

Merchants should also turn the card over and ensure the back of the card has the proper marks. For sales conducted without a card for online or phone transactions, Harkins advises merchants to protect themselves by requesting the three-number security code on the back of the card (four digits and on the front of American Express cards). "If it doesn't match, ask additional questions or investigate the customer before completing the transaction," he says.

Inevitably, some of the scammers will succeed, and unless the cardholder has a firm handle on his or her account, the crime can go entirely unnoticed. Experts say this further reinforces the need for cardholder diligence on a regular basis. "It's vital to check your balances and accounts on a regular basis and report any suspicious purchases to help identify the theft quickly," says Krishnan.

Disposable Card Numbers Are One Solution
Another way consumers can fight shaving is with a credit card account that generates a new number for every new transaction. Citibank offers Virtual Account Numbers to cardholders for online purchases while PayPal provides the Secure Card in the form of a MasterCard debit card. While these can only be used online, Qsecure is rolling out a SmartStripe credit and debit card that looks like any other card. However, a chip embedded in the card's magnetic stripe automatically generates a different number for each purchase.

5 steps to avoid ID theft

Merchants and their customers are more likely to be victimized by payment card fraud committed by an employee than a criminal or scamster outside the business. Here are some steps you can take to make sure that you aren't victimized by credit card fraud when using your card in person at a retailer rather than online:

1. Pay at the register. If you have a choice between paying at the register and handing your card to a waiter, pay at the register. That way, you're less likely to be subject to skimming, a scam whereby an employee takes an unauthorized scan of your card. If you must hand your card over to a waiter or salesperson, keep the card in your sight at all times.

2. Get your card back quickly. The shorter the time that your card is away from you, the less chance there is of a fraud. So, if you open a tab at a bar, make sure you get your card back. Don't let the bartender hold it at the cash register. If your card sits on the bar or at the register, it might get skimmed, or an employee or other person could take a quick picture of it with a cell phone camera, says Suzanne Miller, senior partner of the compliance and audit group at Turbo PCI.

3. Look for security cameras. PCI data security standards require merchants who process credit cards in person to have security cameras trained on card processing areas, notes Miller. Unfortunately, many don't, which means the retailer, restaurant or other merchant is more likely to be subject to internal credit card fraud by employees. If employees know that security cameras are monitoring them, they are less likely to try to commit fraud.

4. Beware of tip fraud. When you add a servicer tip onto your credit or debit card charge, you risk tip fraud, a scam whereby a service employee alters the tip amount when entering the final bill at the cash register or point-of-sale system. Most consumers, even those who actually go over their credit card or debit card charges with a fine tooth comb, won't notice an extra 75 cents or dollar tip. You can avoid this scam by leaving a tip in cash.

5. Check for skimming at ATM and PIN entry terminals. If an ATM or PIN entry device looks odd or different, don't use it. Skimmers frequently attach devices to ATMs or PIN entry devices - especially those that aren't monitored by merchants - to steal card data encoded on magnetic strips.