New test for breast tumors: Water ultrasound imaging seems as accurate as mammography

DETROIT – You're lying face down on a massage table, your breast encased in a water bath through an opening in the table. Tiny ports from a surrounding ring fire ultrasound waves. There are no X-rays. There is no pain. There is no holding still for 20 minutes or more.

And in the time it takes to finish reading this paragraph, you will have safely and cheaply completed a high-definition, 360-degree mammogram, courtesy of an ultrasound imaging machine in experimental stages at the Karmanos Cancer Institute. Its inventors think it will soon become the preferred method for detecting and monitoring breast tumors.

source: Dallas News

First Accredited CME Course on BSGI - the Molecular Breast Imaging Exam, Now Available to All Physicians

NEWPORT NEWS, Va., Sept. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- The Institute for AdvancedMedical Education in partnership with WebMedEd and Applied Radiology nowoffers an online CME course on Breast-Specific Gamma Imaging (BSGI), amolecular breast imaging exam. The course is designed to educate physicians onthe utility of BSGI as a critical adjunct procedure to mammography, ultrasoundand MRI to help diagnose early stage breast cancers, particularly types thatcan be difficult to detect, such as DCIS and lobular carcinoma.

The program is accredited for Two (2) AMA/PRA CME Credits(TM) and isdivided into a five-module presentation. Dr. Margaret Bertrand with SolisBertrand Breast Center in Greensboro, NC presents an "Interpretation andComparison to Other Modalities" and Dr. Ward Parsons with The Rose BreastCenter in Houston, TX presents "A Molecular Imaging Complement To BreastDiagnostics: Technology and Clinical Indications." The online course alsoincludes several case presentations from each physician, as well as aninterview session covering some of the most talked about topics in molecularbreast imaging.

source: International Business Times

MBI better than mammography for dense breast tissue

There may be a more effective way to detect breast cancer in women with dense breasts, according to a study released Sunday.

Molecular breast imaging (MBI) detects three times as many breast tumours as mammography in high-risk women with dense breast tissue, researchers at the Breast Cancer Symposium in Washington said.

MBI is a relatively new screening method wherein patients are injected with a radioactive agent that is absorbed by breast tissue. Cancer cells absorb more of the agent than healthy cells. A specialized camera tracks the agent and can distinguish between healthy tissue and cancer tumours.

source: CTV.ca News

Radiation Medical Group Is First In USA To Offer New Breast Cancer Treatment Option

Radiation Medical Group, Inc. is the first center in the nation to use a new version of the SAVI applicator for radiation treatment of breast cancer, potentially expanding the number of women who will qualify for breast brachytherapy.

RMG is the first center to use the SAVI™ 6-1Mini applicator, which is designed for the delivery of radiation to small or hard-to-treat lumpectomy cavities. The new device makes a shorter, more convenient form of radiation therapy available to more women.

"We are proud to be the first center to offer this new SAVI applicator option," said Gina Mansy, M.D., a radiation oncologist at RMG. "We are committed to providing women with state-of-the-art technology and the latest treatment breakthroughs, to arm them in the fight against breast cancer."

source: Radiation Medical Group

Surveillance mammography after treatment for primary breast cancer

The National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment (NIHR HTA) programme has commissioned a new study to identify the most effective and efficient surveillance methods for women who have received treatment for primary breast cancer. There are 45,000 new cases in the UK each year and although the majority of women never experience a recurrence, it does return in approximately 25 per cent of women. The majority of these recurrences are found during the first three years after treatment.

It is generally accepted that early diagnosis is a key factor influencing survival from breast cancer, with an 81 per cent reduction in mortality compared with women who were identified with more advanced stages. A recurrence of breast cancer might be found either by physical examination or by mammography, a process which uses low-dose X-rays to examine the breast. There is, however, no general agreement as to the best way to monitor patients for recurrence or how often women should receive X-rays.

source: National Coordinating Centre for Health Technology Assessment

New Data On Breast Imaging Using Cardiolite(R) To Be Presented At ASCO Breast Cancer Symposium

Lantheus Medical Imaging, a worldwide leader in diagnostic imaging, announced that the company's leading imaging agent, Cardiolite® (Kit for the Preparation of Technetium Tc99m Sestamibi for Injection) will be featured in a new study on molecular breast imaging being presented on Sunday, September 7, 2008, at 7:00am -12:00pm (EDT) as part of the poster sessions (abstract #68) at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's 2008 Breast Cancer Symposium in Washington, DC.

"This promising new study on molecular breast imaging provides encouraging data for millions of women and families who are impacted by breast cancer and sheds light on potential new diagnostic approaches for finding tumors in women who have dense breast tissue, which can confound mammograms," stated Don Kiepert, president and chief executive officer of Lantheus Medical Imaging. "We are proud to supply the imaging agent for this important clinical effort. Breast cancer is a devastating disease and we recognize how important and valuable early detection is for women."

source: Lantheus Medical Imaging

Molecular Breast Imaging More Effective than Mammography at Detecting Cancer in High-Risk Women with Dense Breasts

In the largest study to date to compare a screening technique called molecular breast imaging (MBI) to mammography, researchers have shown that MBI can detect three times as many cancers in women who have dense breast patterns on their mammogram and are at increased risk of breast cancer.

Mammography is the current standard of care for breast cancer screening. However, it can be difficult to distinguish normal breast tissue from tumor tissue in women with dense breasts using mammography. As a consequence, women who have dense breasts as well as other breast cancer risk factors often need additional screening.

MBI is a relatively new screening method in which patients are injected with a short-living radioactive agent that is absorbed by breast tissue. This agent is tracked with a specialized camera that can distinguish healthy tissue from breast cancer tumors, as cancer cells absorb more of the radioactive agent
than healthy cells. MBI is currently available at a limited number of cancer centers, but its availability is growing. While more expensive than mammography, MBI is about one-fifth of the cost of breast MRI (magnetic resonance imaging).

source: ASCO