PEM scanners may reduce unnecessary breast biopsies and offer an alternative for women who cannot tolerate MRI.

SAN DIEGO, CA – March 15, 2010 – New data from an
NIH-sponsored, multi-site study of hundreds of women
with newly diagnosed breast cancer shows that
Positron Emission Mammography (PEM) may reduce
unnecessarybreast biopsies. The study found that
PEM was significantly more precise at identifying
benign and cancerous lesions, in what scientists
call “Positive Predictive Value” or “PPV,” therefore
reducing the number of unnecessary biopsies. A
common physician complaint regarding the use of Breast
MRI is its tendency to identify suspicious lesions,
requiring biopsies on lesions that ultimately are
found to be benign.

This finding is a welcomed outcome for women and
physicians looking for ways to reduce the patient
trauma associated with biopsies and for payors
looking to reduce the costs associated with unnecessary
procedures. The 388 woman study showed that PEM not
only demonstrated a six percent im provement in
specificity at comparably high sensitivity, but that
PEM also had 31 fewer unnecessary biopsies and 26%
higher PPV than Breast MR. These results are also
particularly significant for those women who cannot
tolerate an MR exam and require an alternate imaging tool.

source: Naviscan