PresGar Implements RamSoft's Digital Mammography Software

Less than a year into the process, RamSoft, a leading developer of affordable healthcare information technology, has successfully helped PresGar, the nation's largest privately-owned medical imaging service company, establish a significant digital mammography presence at eight of its imaging centers.

The result has been increased efficiency among PresGar mammographers and technologists and substantial savings for the company. If things go as planned, a ninth center may soon join the mix, combining RamSoft's PowerServer PACS and Gateway Routers with PresGar's new digital mammography system.

source: Medical News Today

Manhattan Diagnostic Radiology First in New York City to Offer Positron Emission Mammography (PEM) Scanner From Naviscan

NEW YORK, Aug 13, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Manhattan Diagnostic Radiology announced today that it will be the first imaging facility in Manhattan to offer Positron Emission Mammography (PEM) in the fight against breast cancer. This installation will provide Manhattan Diagnostic Radiology an increased ability to image and diagnose early-stage breast cancers, positively impacting cancer management. The leading-edge technology provides unprecedented metabolic resolution down to 1.5 millimeters.

"We recently received prestigious designation as a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence from the American College of Radiology acknowledging our commitment to providing the highest level of breast care to our patients," said Craig H. Sherman, M.D., Senior Partner and Director of PET/CT imaging at Manhattan Diagnostic Radiology. "We have always sought out the very best in diagnostic imaging technology, and PEM will be the latest in a long list of firsts for our center. We expect that PEM will prove indispensable to effective breast cancer management for both our referring physicians and our patient population."

source:Naviscan

“Convenience” of Screening Mammography Facilities Plays Major Role in Patient Retention

Patients cite “convenience to home or work” as the main reason they changed mammography facilities, according to a recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center and The Barrett Center in Cincinnati, OH.

The study included 303 current mammography patients (“stayers”) and 117 patients who no longer received mammography at the university-based center (“leavers”), said Mary C. Mahoney, MD, lead author of the study.

The study showed that among the “leavers” 37% cited convenience to home or work as the reason for leaving the university-based site and choosing a new mammography provider. Other reasons for leaving the university-based site included difficulty scheduling appointments (15%); 14% of those who left the university-based center indicated that their current mammography provider was mandated by their insurance provider.

source: ARRS

iCAD Achieves Record-High Ratings in Mammography CAD User Satisfaction

iCAD, Inc. (Nasdaq: ICAD), an industry-leading provider of Computer-Aided Detection (CAD) solutions for the early detection of cancer, today announced that the Company has achieved record-high customer satisfaction ratings in the Mammography CAD market, according to the independent healthcare research group MD Buyline.

In MD Buyline’s User Satisfaction Report for the first two quarters of 2008, iCAD remains #1 in mammography CAD for user satisfaction in system performance, system reliability, installation/implementation, applications training, service response time and service repair quality compared to Hologic/R2. Additionally, iCAD has attained record-high customer service ratings in the categories of System Reliability, Service Repair Quality and overall service and quality.

source: iCAD

Lidocaine Gel Could Make Mammograms More Comfortable

Mammograms are not one of the Top 10 things women look forward to each year. In fact, they may be in the Bottom 10, or even the Bottom 3. While they don't compare to the pain of surgery or childbirth, mammograms are an uncomfortable procedure for most women, but one that is considered a necessary evil. It is easy for many women to wince at the first thought of getting their screening for breast cancer. But help may be a smear away.

A new study conducted shows that a numbing gel could ease the pain associated with getting a mammogram and may make women more likely to come back for subsequent screenings. The lead author of the study said that the gel might act as a simple secret weapon: "We now have something that we know reduces discomfort with screening mammography in women who expect higher discomfort—lidocaine gel."

source: Healthnews

Aurora(R) Breast MRI Society Debuts The Journal Of Breast MRI

North Andover, Mass. – The Aurora® Breast MRI Society, a rapidly growing group of dedicated breast radiologists committed to advancing the use of cutting-edge dedicated breast MRI technology, previewed the newly developed Aurora Breast MRI Society Global PACS Teaching Tool. The teaching tool was introduced before an audience of more than 100 radiology professionals in attendance at the second annual Aurora Breast MRI Society Meeting, recently held in Newport Beach, Calif.

“The establishment of the Aurora Breast MRI Society Global PACS Teaching Tool is incredibly exciting, as it will provide Society members an exclusive Internet-based community in which they are able to network with colleagues, share clinical knowledge and data, enhance professional development, and improve the management and treatment of breast disease,” said Kamilia F. Kozlowski, M.D., president, Aurora Breast MRI Society, and medical director/CEO and clinical breast radiologist, Knoxville Comprehensive Breast Center. “We are proud of the progress made in supporting our Society�s mission through the introduction of the Aurora Breast MRI Society Global PACS Teaching Tool and know that this will be a very valuable tool for all practitioners using it.”

source: Aurora Breast MRI Society

Scientist Presents New Breast Cancer Imaging Method

Flemming Forsberg, Ph.D., professor of Radiology at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, presents updated results on the effect of using subharmonic imaging (SHI) in determining a breast cancer diagnosis at the Fifth Era of Hope meeting in Baltimore, Maryland. SHI – a new breast cancer imaging technique – appears to improve the diagnosis of breast cancer relative to conventional ultrasound and mammography.

“With these recent findings, SHI could provide a major improvement to breast imaging and patient care,” said Dr. Forsberg.

source: EmaxHealth

Experimental Imaging System Helps Detect Breast Cancer

(HealthDay News) -- Researchers have devised a new breast-imaging technology that appears to be as accurate as MRI scans but several times cheaper.

The technique, called molecular breast imaging (MBI), is still in the early stages of development, the scientists added.

"We envision MBI being useful for women who are not served well by mammography, those who have mammographically dense breast tissue, and those at increased risk for breast cancer," said study author Carrie Beth Hruska, a research fellow at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. "We have been working on the technology for the last six years. However, there are a lot of technical challenges that have had to be overcome, so it's still in the very early stages for use in patients."

source: US News & World Report

Online Radiology Offers Telemammography Services

Riverside, CA (PRWEB) June 23, 2008 -- Jesse Salen, the VP of Sales and Technology at Online Radiology Medical Group, Inc., announced last week, telemammography services are now available to its patients. According to Mr. Salen, "We opted to expand our slate of services with the intention of contributing to improving survival rates among breast cancer patients."

It is widely known that early detection through mammography is the most effective method of improving survival rates for breast cancer, a leading cause of death among women. Telemammography is the electronic transmission of digitized mammograms and provides greater efficiency in the area of breast imaging and interpretation. It significantly improves breast cancer screening by delivering critical medical expertise that is both timely and accurate.


source: PR Web

Fujifilm Introduces Breast Imaging Diagnostic Workstation

Stamford, CT. - June 19, 2008 - Fujifilm Medical Systems USA, Inc. announced today that it is introducing the Breast Imaging Diagnostic Workstation (BIDW). Available for any U.S. facility that has implemented Full Field Digital Mammography (FFDM), the BIDW is being introduced specifically to complement Fujifilm’s Computed Radiography for Mammography (FCRm) solution and provide better workstation interpretation capabilities for facilities that may use another vendor’s PACS. Delivering full Synapse® PACS functionality, this new standalone workstation is designed to be a supplement to any facility’s existing PACS, and meet the market need for more clinically and operationally advanced systems to support breast imaging.

“As more and more facilities adopt digital mammography, there is an increased need for PACS that provide the specialized features and advanced technologies that are so vital to the interpretation of full field digital mammography exams,” explained Jim Morgan, Fujifilm’s Director of Marketing, Network Systems. “Synapse is an advanced PACS that is uniquely capable of providing the diagnostic and clinical tools that radiologists demand for FFDM. The Breast Imaging Diagnostic Workstation will now enable customers that might already have an existing PACS to benefit from full Synapse capabilities and additional features specifically designed for digital mammography when interpreting their FFDM studies.”

source: Fuji

STAMFORD, Conn., June 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Fujifilm Medical
Systems USA, Inc. announced today that it is introducing the
Breast Imaging Diagnostic Workstation (BIDW). Available
for any U.S. facility that has implemented Full
Field Digital Mammography (FFDM), the BIDW is being
introduced specifically to complement Fujifilm's Computed
Radiography for Mammography (FCRm) solution and
provide better workstation interpretation capabilities for facilities
that may use another vendor's PACS. Delivering full Synapse(R)
PACS functionality, this new standalone workstation is designed
to be a supplement to any facility's existing PACS, and meet the
market need for more clinically and operationally advanced
systems to support breast imaging.

"As more and more facilities adopt digital mammography, there
is an increased need for PACS that provide the specialized
features and advanced technologies that are so vital to the
interpretation of full field digital mammography exams,"
explained Jim Morgan, Fujifilm's Director of Network
Systems.
source": Earth Times

Women's Imaging Centre First In Louisiana To Deploy Advanced Diagnostic Imaging With The Aurora Dedicated Breast MRI

Aurora Imaging Technology Inc. announced that the Aurora® 1.5Tesla Dedicated Breast MRI System is immediately available to patients for the first time in Louisiana at the Women's Imaging Centre-Lafayette.

The Aurora System is the only Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared dedicated breast MRI system specifically designed for the detection, diagnosis and management of breast disease. The Women's Imaging Centre chose the Aurora System to service patients in Lafayette, La. and its surrounding parishes to offer advanced diagnostic imaging, and address the staggering breast cancer statistics in Louisiana.

source: Medical News Today

Mammography Facility Characteristics Associated With Accuracy Of Screening

Some characteristics of mammography facilities are associated with the accuracy of interpretation of screening mammograms, according to a study published online June 10 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Previous studies have suggested that patient characteristics, such as age, are associated with variations in the accuracy of screening mammograms. Similarly, characteristics of the radiologist who interprets the mammograms, such as his or her reading experience, are associated with variations in accuracy. The impact of the type of facility or its characteristics on mammogram accuracy was unknown, but the information could help identify better practices and better places to obtain a mammogram.

source: Medical News Today

Sectra MicroDose Mammography honored with 2008 Medical Design Excellence Award

The IT and medical-technology company Sectra has been honored with 2008 Medical Design Excellence Award for Sectra MicroDose Mammography™. The system features superior image quality, an ergonomic design combined with a unique photon-counting technology enabling the lowest radiation dose on the market.

The jury’s motivation was: “Sectra MicroDose Mammography with its ultra low-dose radiation output and elegant ergonomics clearly stood out with regard to both the criteria patient safety and ease-of use. Aesthetics, while not absolutely critical, is also important and the elegant European form factor was another positive.”

source: SECTRA

Canadian Breast Cancer Network Releases 2008 Breast Cancer Wait Times

WINNIPEG, June 5 /CNW/ - New data collected by the Canadian
Breast Cancer Network (CBCN) shows that not all Canadian
women are receiving equal access to breast cancer
treatment. The CBCN presented the 2008 Breast Cancer
Wait Time in Canada Report Card findings
today at the 5th World Conference on Breast Cancer in
Winnipeg. "This Report Card is a call to action for
concerned organizations and individuals to work
collaboratively to find solutions to breast cancer
issues," said Diana Ermel, president of the CBCN.
"Breast cancer wait times and accessibility to
medications must remain high on the public
agenda to improve access and quality of care."
While many jurisdictions are working on innovative
solutions to shorten wait times, there continue
to be significant gaps in the current standards of
care across the country. The Report Card provides
an overview of wait times for diagnosis and
treatment of breast cancer in Canada.

source: newswire.ca

Breast-Specific Gamma Imaging (BSGI) Found to Be Highly Sensitive for Early Stage Breast Cancer

NEWPORT NEWS, Va., May 29 /PRNewswire/ -- According to an article in the June issue of Radiology, researchers at The George Washington University Medical Center in Washington, D.C. have shown that Breast-Specific Gamma Imaging (BSGI) is highly sensitive in detecting the presence of cancer. The researchers determined that BSGI was a useful detection tool and that it was as sensitive as MRI for most cancers and perhaps more sensitive for ductal carcinoma in-situ, an early stage of breast cancer.

BSGI, molecular imaging of the breast utilizing a high-resolution, small-field-of-view gamma camera, is an increasingly utilized adjunct imaging modality for the diagnosis of breast cancer. Initial studies with this imaging technique report sensitivities similar to MRI with a higher specificity -- which is the ability of a test to show when disease is not present.

source: PRNewswire

Naviscan PET Systems and Rockville PET Imaging Partner to Bring a New Breast Imaging Technology to New York

SAN DIEGO, May 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Naviscan PET Systems, Inc., a privately held company that manufactures and develops high-resolution PET scanners, announced today the newest installation of the PEM Flex(TM) Solo II scanner at Rockville PET Imaging, P.C. in Rockville Centre, New York. This installation marks the beginning of a multi-unit deal between Naviscan and the operators of Rockville PET Imaging that will bring organ specific, molecular imaging technology to multiple centers throughout the New York state area.

"We are pleased and excited at the growing strategic relationship between Rockville PET Imaging and Naviscan PET Systems," said Paul J. Mirabella, Chairman and CEO of Naviscan. "Both of us believe that this leading-edge technology will significantly and positively influence the effective management of breast cancer patients. Moreover, this multi-unit order represents a highly visible commitment on the part of Rockville PET Imaging to provide differential, personalized healthcare and diagnostic services throughout the greater New York metropolitan area."

source: Yahoo Finance (press release)

MRI Use May Explain Part Of The Trend In Rising Mastectomies Say Mayo Researchers

The number of women undergoing mastectomy (total breast removal) for early-stage breast cancer has increased in the last three years at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. The increase follows a steady decline during the prior seven years.

Researchers say the reasons for this increase are unclear. But they have determined that women at Mayo Clinic who underwent diagnostic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) prior to surgery to treat early-stage breast cancer had a higher rate of mastectomy, compared to women who did not have an MRI.

source: Medical News Today

Supplemental Breast Ultrasound Boosts Cancer Detection

Among women at high risk of developing breast cancer, breast ultrasound combined with mammography may detect more cancers than mammography alone, according to results of a multicenter trial that included UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers.

Overall, 40 participants were diagnosed with breast cancer. Of those cases, a dozen lesions were suspicious only on ultrasound and eight were suspicious on both ultrasound and mammography.

The most recent findings, presented in the current issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association, are from the first round of screening in the American College of Radiology Imaging Network's ACRIN-6666 trial. More than 2,800 women at high risk of developing breast cancer participated. The median age of the participants was 55 years and more than half had a personal history of breast cancer.

source: Medical News Today

Siemens To Showcase Full Field Digital Mammography System And Other Breast Imaging Innovations At Symposium Mammographicum 2008

At Symposium Mammographicum 2008, in Lille, France, Siemens will be showcasing the latest innovations in full field digital mammography and breast imaging. In addition to the new MAMMOMAT Inspiration, the ACUSON S2000 ultrasound system and the MammoReport workstation will be displayed on stand 11/12.

The MAMMOMAT Inspiration is a full field digital mammography system designed to meet the needs of the patient, the user and clinician. New compression technologies, paddle design and mood lighting offer the latest in patient comfort, plus the isocentric rotation of the X-ray tube and examination functionality have been enhanced to offer easy and fast workflow to improve patient throughput. Furthermore, the MAMMOMAT Inspiration is a future proof solution for stereotactic biopsy and to provide 3D imaging using tomosynthesis.

source: MedicalNewsToday

Six-Month Follow-Up Diagnostic Mammograms Recommended for Women with Probably Benign Lesions

Radiologists can, with confidence, recommend a six-month follow-up diagnostic mammogram rather than an immediate biopsy for patients with “probably benign” breast lesions, a new study emphasizes.

The study found that six-month short-interval follow-up examinations had an 83% sensitivity, which is similar to the sensitivity of other diagnostic mammograms, said Erin J. Aiello Bowles, MPH, lead author of the study from the Group Health Center for Health Studies. High sensitivity means identifying a high proportion of “true positives” (actual cancer cases) and a low proportion of “false negatives” (cases mistakenly deemed benign).

source: American Roentgen Ray Society

Alternative To Biopsy For Women With Probably Benign Lesions

Radiologists can, with confidence, recommend a six-month follow-up diagnostic mammogram rather than an immediate biopsy for patients with "probably benign" breast lesions, a new study emphasizes.

The study found that six-month short-interval follow-up examinations had an 83% sensitivity, which is similar to the sensitivity of other diagnostic mammograms, said Erin J. Aiello Bowles, MPH, lead author of the study from the Group Health Center for Health Studies. High sensitivity means identifying a high proportion of "true positives" (actual cancer cases) and a low proportion of "false negatives" (cases mistakenly deemed benign).

source: Medical News Today

DR Systems’ Integration of Mammography with PACS to Be Showcased at ACR Meeting

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--DR Systems will be demonstrating its industry-leading approach to integrating digital mammography into its top-ranked Unity™ RIS/PACS at the American College of Radiology’s 33rd National Conference on Breast Cancer.

The conference will be held May 8-10 in Orlando, Fla. DR Systems will be at Booth 103 in the Coquita Exhibit Hall.

Nearly 50 facilities nationwide have adopted, or are in the process of adopting, DR Systems’ sophisticated integration of PACS and digital mammography.

DR Systems avoids the problems of reading and archiving digital mammograms on a stand-alone mammography workstation by tightly integrating digital mammograms with its PACS. This approach saves capital costs and floor space in the radiology department and better leverages the institution’s investment in its PACS. It also makes radiologists more efficient and productive.

sourc: BusinessWire

Sectra: Women in Brussels Provided Choice of Mammography with Unmatched Lowest Radiation Dose

Brussels Menopause Center, a private clinic for women’s health in Belgium, has chosen Sectra MicroDose Mammography to offer women in Brussels mammography examinations at the lowest radiation dose on the market. The clinic is first in the Brussels region to offer women this benefit.

Brussels Menopause Center is a highly specialized women’s health clinic. Specialties include gynecology, mammography, and detection and treatment of osteoporosis. The clinic performs approximately 7,000 screening and clinical mammography examinations annually.

The clinic is digitizing its mammography operations and will implement Sectra’s total solution for digital mammography, including Sectra MicroDose Mammography and Sectra Breast Imaging PACS (a system for managing and archiving digital breast images). With Sectra’s solution, Brussels Menopause Center will be able to offer women in Brussels mammography examinations with a significantly lower radiation dose than any other system on the market. Digitizing the mammography operations will also increase workflow efficiency and provide radiologists with instant access to images and information regardless of location.

source: Business Wire

Carestream Health Announces Canadian Orders for its Mammograpgy System

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - Carestream Health, Inc., has signed contracts for its computed radiography-based mammography solutions with healthcare providers in Canada. The KODAK DIRECTVIEW CR Mammography feature is available for order with new or existing CR 850/950/975 systems and the recently announced Classic and Elite CR systems. These flexible CR platforms can be used for both mammography and general radiography exams.

The following mammography providers are among those that have placed orders for the CR Mammography feature:
Courtice Medical Center (Courtice, Ontario) purchased a KODAK DIRECTVIEW CR 850 with the CR Mammography feature as a dedicated mammography unit.

Insight Medical Imaging (Spruce Grove, Alberta) purchased two KODAK DIRECTVIEW Elite CR Systems with the CR Mammography feature.

full press release at Carestream