Patent Awarded to the Design of TechniScan's Unique 3-D Breast Imaging System

SALT LAKE CITY, May 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- A newly awarded U.S. Patent will protect TechniScan, Inc's., (OTC Bulletin Board: TSNI) novel way to image, biopsy and treat breast cancer.

U.S. Patent 7,699,783 B2 titled "Method for Imaging and Treating a Breast" covers the company's design of a 3-D, Warm Bath Ultrasound™ system that images while a woman lies prone on a table with her breast comfortably immersed in a warm water, state-of-the art scanning system.

Since she is lying on a table with her breast through an opening, the breast is in a pendant, uncompressed position that allows for a true three-dimensional image to be constructed.

"Imaging of the non-compressed pendant breast, similar to positioning for breast MRI, provides reproducible, 3-D anatomically accurate detail," said Yuri Parisky, M.D., medical imaging director at Mammoth Hospital in Calif. "It is the ideal position to image the breast."

A vital element of the new patent is the table design of the Warm Bath Ultrasound™ (WBU™) system, which rises above the water bath tank after the scan. This functionality has three key benefits: The woman remains on the same table for diagnostics and treatment, it maintains the known position of the tumor or lesion and allows the three-dimensional image to be utilized to guide treatment instruments.

source: PR Newswire

New Concerns About Radiation And Breast Cancer

It is well established that exposure to ionizing radiation can result in mutations or other genetic damage that cause cells to turn cancerous. Now a new study led by researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) has revealed another way in which radiation can promote cancer development. Working with cultures of human breast cells, the researchers discovered that radiation exposure can alter the environment surrounding the cells so that future cells are more likely to become cancerous.

"Our work shows that radiation can change the microenvironment of breast cells, and this in turn can allow the growth of abnormal cells with a long-lived phenotype that has a much greater potential to be cancerous," says Paul Yaswen, a cell biologist and breast cancer research specialist with Berkeley Lab's Life Sciences Division.

source: Medical News Today

Breast MRI Could Reduce Local Breast Cancer Recurrence Rates, Study Suggests

The use of preoperative breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) prior to surgical intervention (for the treatment of breast cancer) can reduce the number of local (confined to the breast) cancer recurrences at follow-up, according to a study to be presented at the ARRS 2010 Annual Meeting in San Diego, CA. MRI of the breast is a noninvasive medical test that helps physicians diagnose and treat breast cancer.

“Local and regional recurrences after breast-conserving surgery are rare events,” said Valeria Dominelli, MD, lead author of the study. “However young age and breast density put patients at a greater risk,” said Dominelli.

The study, performed at the University of Rome “La Sapienza” in Rome, Italy, included 49 patients with a local recurrence that was detected after surgical treatment of the primary carcinoma. Ten patients had a contrast-enhanced MRI prior to surgery while the remaining 39 patients did not. Contralateral carcinoma (cancer in the opposite breast) and local recurrence were seen significantly more in patients who did not receive an MRI examination prior to surgery.

“Our study suggests that preoperative breast MRI staging allows for a significant reduction in the number of local cancer recurrences at follow-up,” said Dominelli.

source: ARRS

BSGI Offers Clear View of Breast Tumor Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy

NEWPORT NEWS, Va., April 30 /PRNewswire/ -- A new study, presented at the American Society of Breast Surgeons Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, found that Breast-Specific Gamma Imaging (BSGI) is highly accurate in monitoring the response of breast cancers to neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

BSGI, a molecular breast imaging technique (MBI), has been proven in several other studies to improve breast cancer detection and aid in the management of patients with difficult to diagnose breast tissue.

The study, conducted by Dr. Christine Teal, Chief of Breast Surgery at The George Washington University Hospital in Washington, D.C., and her team of researchers, found that BSGI accurately monitors tumor response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

According to Dr. Teal, "BSGI provides excellent specificity and sensitivity in determining initial tumor size as well as accurately reflects response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. This allows for more precise surgical planning prior to definitive surgical procedure in this population of women."

source: PR Newswire

Manhattan Scientifics' Technology Able to Detect Breast Cancer Three Years Earlier Than Mammogram

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Manhattan Scientifics, Inc. (OTCBB: MHTX) announced today that its "early cancer detection" technology, developed by Edward R. Flynn, Ph.D. is expected to identify breast cancer three years earlier than the current gold standard mammogram test. Dr. Flynn is a pioneer in the emerging field of nano medicine.

When fully developed and commercialized, Dr. Flynn's biomagnetic-based system will be 100% radiation free, unlike current radiation-based mammogram tests. Manhattan Scientifics is currently seeking a partner to commercialize the technology.

To reduce harm from over-treatment and radiation, new medical guidelines recently issued by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommended that women begin regular breast cancer screening at age 50, rather than age 40. "Annual mammograms for most women in their 40's have more drawbacks than benefits...." according to an article published by Bloomberg News, November 17, 2009.

CEO Manny Tsoupanarias said, "We believe early detection of cancer can be critical to effective treatment. Current mammography cannot detect a breast cancer tumor until it has grown to over ten million cells. Dr. Flynn's technology has proven the ability to detect breast cancer tumors only 1% that large, resulting in a hundred-fold increase in sensitivity and early detection.

"The new technology has demonstrated similar early detection performance for ovarian cancer, a cancer that currently has no effective screening techniques. Our technology also demonstrated effectiveness in monitoring chemotherapy for leukemia, allowing more effective treatment with fewer side effects. Dr. Flynn's work has been supported for eight years by nine grants from the National Institutes of Health and a grant from the U.S. Department of Defense. The technology is protected by issued and pending patents," Tsoupanarias said

source: Manhattan Scientifics Inc.

Montgomery Breast Center First To Install Breast Cancer Lesion-Localization System

The Montgomery Breast Center of Montgomery, Ala., is the first center in the country to install and use the GammaLoc® lesion-localization system. This system is the only FDA-cleared device that enables gamma-guided, minimally invasive needle biopsy of suspicious lesions identified with Breast-Specific Gamma Imaging (BSGI). BSGI is performed by the Dilon 6800®, a gamma camera that is optimized to reveal lesions independent of tissue density and discover early stage cancers that are oftentimes not identified with other imaging methods, such as mammography, ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

GammaLoc® helps the physician calculate the specific depth and location of the suspect lesion. A computer user interface with detailed step-by-step instructions guides the physician through the biopsy procedure. The GammaLoc® system utilizes a CorreLocator™ paddle and a StereoView™ imaging collimator system a technique similar to that used in stereotactic X-ray localization.

source: Medical News Today

Innovation in Mathematics Leads to Revolutionary Breast Imaging System

TechniScan's scientific breakthrough in Inverse Scattering presented to doctors and scientists at AIUM conference

SALT LAKE CITY, April 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The groundbreaking algorithms developed at TechniScan, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: TSNI) have led to a new arena of whole breast ultrasound technology, as presented at a national medical ultrasound conference in San Diego in March.

TechniScan cofounder and scientist-mathematician, James Wiskin, Ph.D. spoke at the American Institute of Ultrasound Medicine (AIUM) conference held at the San Diego Marriott Hotel and Marina about the unique methods in which the company's 3-dimensional whole breast ultrasound captures anatomical images of the breast.

The breakthrough in imaging is a result of Wiskin's and colleagues David Borup, Ph.D., and Steven Johnson's, Ph.D. work in the mathematics of inverse scattering. TechniScan's Warm Bath Ultrasound™ (WBU) system uses a unique combination of traditional B-mode (reflective) ultrasound and two types of transmission ultrasound – speed of sound and attenuation of sound, to produce three unique sets of images.

"This revolutionary new method of imaging produces information not available with traditional reflection ultrasound or whole breast ultrasound as it is presently being developed. Uniquely, we can also capture 360 degree compounded coronal images," said Wiskin.

source: PR Newswire

Pioneering Breast Scanner Holds Great Promise for Accurately Detecting and Diagnosing Breast Cancer at Its Earliest Stages

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., April 1, 2010 - Perhaps no one can appreciate the importance of early cancer detection as much as Izora Armstrong. That's because UVA Cancer Center researchers, using a first-of-its-kind hybrid breast imaging device, found what mammography, ultrasound, MRI and even a needle biopsy couldn't.

"I feel truly blessed that I came to UVA, that they gave me the chance to be a part of this study," says Armstrong, 53, a school bus driver in southern Fauquier County. "I went through all the regular tests and did what women are supposed to do and I still wouldn't have known I had breast cancer if it wasn't for UVA."

The unique device, the dual modality tomographic (DMT) breast scanner, developed by UVA researchers, has shown in its pilot study the ability to pinpoint to a much finer degree the exact location of breast masses - and, even more important, to more accurately distinguish between cancerous and harmless lesions.

The pilot clinical study, led by Mark B. Williams, PhD, associate professor of radiology, biomedical engineering and physics at the University of Virginia, appears in the April 2010 issue of Radiology.

The DMT breast scanner works by marrying two cutting-edge imaging methods, one that obtains 3-D anatomical (structural) imaging and another that obtains 3-D biological (functional) imaging, into one integrated device. The machine runs the scans sequentially, obtaining both types of images with the breast in the same, immobilized position.

source: University of Virginia Health System

Study questions whether screening really cuts breast cancer deaths

A study from Denmark published on bmj.com today finds no effect of the Danish screening programme on breast cancer deaths.

Similar results have been seen in other countries, including the UK, leading the authors to question whether screening has delivered the promised effect on breast cancer mortality.

A 2005 study suggested that screening had reduced breast cancer deaths by 25% in Copenhagen. But Karsten Jørgensen and Peter Gøtzsche from the Nordic Cochrane Centre in Copenhagen, together with Per-Henrik Zahl from Folkehelseinstituttet in Oslo, identified important problems in this study and decided to undertake a more comprehensive analysis of the data.

They compared annual changes in breast cancer deaths in two Danish regions offering publicly organised screening programmes (Copenhagen and Funen county) with non-screened regions across the rest of Denmark.

Their analysis covered 10 years after screening could have had an effect on breast cancer mortality. For comparison, they also looked at the 10-year period before screening was introduced.

Data for each area were divided into three age bands. Women aged 55-74 years, who could benefit from screening, and women aged 35-55 years and 75-84 years, who were largely unaffected by screening.

They found that in women who could benefit from screening (55-74 years) breast cancer mortality declined by 1% per year in the screened areas and by 2% per year in the non-screened areas. In women too young to benefit from screening (35-54 years), breast cancer mortality declined by 5% per year in the screened areas and by 6% per year in the non-screened areas during the same period.

source: EurekAlert

Intelerad to Showcase IntelePACS Breast Imaging at the 20th Annual National Interdisciplinary Breast Center Conference

Intelerad Medical Systems will be demonstrating the new IntelePACS® Breast Imaging fully-integrated, multi-modality mammography solution at the 20th Annual National Interdisciplinary Breast Center Conference.

IntelePACS Breast Imaging provides radiologists with instant access to a universal multi-modality worklist that drives the workflow and viewing process, answering the specific needs of high-volume mammography imaging departments and businesses. Radiologists can report studies securely over wide area networks, working collaboratively by accessing images and reports from any location. Robustness in image storage and delivery, including the use of compression to optimize transmission over any network are just some of the strengths of IntelePACS.

“IntelePACS Breast Imaging with its universal worklist eliminates the need for dedicated workstations, and gives access to multi-modality images regardless of where our radiologists read from. We especially like that the viewing tools are fully customizable offering us a high degree of control for image viewing. Workflow optimization within a single unified PACS environment will quickly ensure productivity gains and faster report turnaround times to patients and a better service to our referring physicians.” Peter Ricci, MD, Radiology Imaging Associates / Invision, Sally Jobe Breast Network.

source: Intelerad

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

MRI Finds Tumors In Second Breast Of Women Diagnosed With Cancer In One Breast

Postmenopausal women, including those over 70 years old, who have been newly diagnosed with cancer in one breast have higher cancer detection rates when the other breast is scanned for tumors with MRI, compared to premenopausal women, say researchers at the Mayo Clinic campus in Florida.

They found that 3.8 percent of 425 women had breast cancer in the undiagnosed breast that had not been found with a clinical or mammographic examination; all were postmenopausal. In these women, detecting and treating cancer in both breasts at the same time may save costs, patient stress, and the potential toxicity that may come from having to treat cancer later in the second breast once it is discovered, the researchers say in the March/April issue of The Breast Journal.

source: Medical News Today

ACR, SBI: Avon Survey Reveals Potentially Deadly Effects of USPSTF Mammography Recommendations

A recent Avon Foundation for Women survey confirms what the American College of Radiology and other experts warned would happen: states are using deeply flawed and widely discredited U.S. Preventative Services Task Force mammography recommendations to deny women coverage for mammograms, and many women are foregoing long proven, life-saving mammography care based on the mistaken USPSTF recommendations.

According to the Avon national survey of cancer health educators and providers, respondents from more than a dozen states reported changes in their states’ breast and cervical cancer early detection programs following the USPSTF recommendations including the elimination of early screening programs for women under age 50. Avon reports that California, New York, Florida, Illinois and Michigan are among those states that have changed their breast cancer screening programs since the USPSTF released its guidelines. Respondents to the Avon survey also reported a decline in the number of women under 50 seeking mammograms and that many women already reluctant to have a mammogram are using the guidelines as their rationale to put off screening.

“Allowing a small number of people with no demonstrated expertise in breast cancer care to make recommendations regarding diagnosis of the nation’s second leading cancer killer makes no scientific sense, and has set a off a chain of political and clinical events that many women may ultimately pay for with their lives,” said James H. Thrall, MD, chair of the American College of Radiology Board of Chancellors. “Lawmakers at all levels need to act now to ensure that these recommendations do no further damage, and that women have full and ready access to mammography.”

source: American College of Radiology

New Ultrasound Breast Scanner Takes Up Operation In Europe

The first models of the new Siemens ultrasound system Acuson S2000 Automated Breast Volume Scanner (ABVS) have taken up operation in European radiological and gynecological clinics and offices. Patients in Switzerland, France, Portugal, Norway and Germany can now be examined with the new system. Thanks to its more accurate, three-dimensional image acquisition, the technology is particularly suitable for the diagnosis of very dense breast tissue. Dr. Frank Stöblen of the Diavero Diagnostic Center in Essen, Germany, is one of the first physicians to use the new ultrasound technology. "The ABVS system is a fascinating advancement from the previous method of manually guided ultrasound examinations. The automated system provides consistent image quality, regardless of the examiner."

Siemens Healthcare recently introduced the Acuson S2000 ABVS, the world's first multifunctional ultrasound breast scanner that automatically acquires volume images of the female breast. The user-independent, standardized images raise ultrasound examinations to a completely new level.

source: Medical News Today

Preoperative MRI Deemed Unnecessary in Women with Early-stage Breast Cancer

Researchers from the UK affiliated with the COMICE randomized trial have reported that preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) does not affect reoperation rates in women with early-stage breast cancer. The details of this study appeared in the February 13, 2010 issue of the Lancet.[1]

Preoperative MRI is increasingly being used in women with early-stage breast cancer who are undergoing breast-conserving surgery (lumpectomy) in order to detect additional areas of disease that may need to be removed but weren’t detectable with conventional imaging. The use of preoperative MRI is based on the assumption that it improves surgical planning, reduces follow-up surgery, and reduces the risk of local recurrence.

However, researchers from the University of Sydney, Australia, and the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center have reported that preoperative MRI in early breast cancer leads to more extensive surgery without evidence of improvement in surgical outcomes or long-term prognosis. This conclusion was based on more than 20 studies evaluating the impact of MRI on detection and surgical treatment in women with early-stage breast cancer. These researchers concluded that more research is needed—in the form of randomized, controlled trials—to evaluate preoperative MRI in breast cancer patients. In the meantime they conclude that MRI causes false-positives and unnecessary surgery and does not appear to reduce re-excision rates. They assert that preoperative MRI may actually do more harm than good.

source: CancerConsultants

Digital Mammography Delivers Significantly Less Radiation than Conventional Mammography

Data from one of the largest mammography trials in history demonstrates that overall the radiation dose associated with digital mammography is significantly lower (averaging 22 percent lower) than that of conventional film mammography and that the reduction could be greater in women with larger and denser breasts, according to a study published in the February issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.

“The ability to reduce the radiation dose for many women is another step forward for breast cancer screening with mammography — which saves thousands of lives each year,” said R. Edward Hendrick, PhD, lead author of the study.

The American College of Radiology Imaging Network (ACRIN) Digital Mammographic Imaging Screening Trial (DMIST) published in 2005, enrolled 49,528 women and found that digital mammography detected significantly (up to 28 percent) more cancers than film mammography in women younger than 50 years of age, premenopausal and preimenopausal women, and women with dense breasts.

In this latest DMIST study, published in AJR, technical data from 5,102 DMIST participants were evaluated, demonstrating that the dose received by women imaged with digital mammography was significantly lower than that received by the same women imaged with standard film mammography.

“The average breast radiation dose per view was 2.37 mGy for film mammography and 1.86 mGy for digital (22 percent lower for digital than film mammography),” said Hendrick.


source: ARRS

Breast Cancer Screening Should Begin at Age 40, New Recommendations Suggest

ScienceDaily (Jan. 5, 2010) — The new recommendations from the Society of Breast Imaging (SBI) and the American College of Radiology (ACR) on breast cancer screening, published in the January issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology (JACR), state that breast cancer screening should begin at age 40 and earlier in high-risk patients. The recommendations also suggest appropriate utilization of medical imaging modalities such as mammography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and ultrasound for breast cancer screening.

"The significant decrease in breast cancer mortality, which amounts to nearly 30 percent since 1990, is a major medical success and is due largely to earlier detection of breast cancer through mammography screening," said Carol H. Lee, MD. "For women with the highest risk of developing breast cancer, screening technologies in addition to mammography have been adopted," said Lee.

source: Science Daily Release

Baylor Adds Naviscan PEM Technology to Women’s Imaging Center

The Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas has taken delivery of the Naviscan PEM scanner at its Darlene G. Cass Women’s Imaging Center. Baylor will use PEM (positron emission mammography) to complement their existing anatomical tools by providing a three-dimensional metabolic perspective of breast cancer. The metabolic view allows physicians to make cancer care decisions by providing an improved ability to distinguish between benign and malignant lesions in what researchers call “specificity.” A recent multi-center NIH-sponsored study comparing PEM and MRI highlighted that PEM had improved specificity relative to MRI at comparable sensitivity, what researchers use to describe the ability to see lesions.

The Darlene G. Cass Women’s Imaging Center has been providing breast imaging services in the Dallas area for more than 20 years, performing more than 50,000 breast imaging procedures annually. The center also performs mammography, stereotactic breast biopsy, breast ultrasound, and ultrasound-guided breast biopsy.

source: NEMA

Baylor Adds Naviscan PEM Technology to Women's Imaging Center

SAN DIEGO, Dec. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- The Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas has taken delivery of the Naviscan PEM scanner at its Darlene G. Cass Women's Imaging Center. Baylor will utilize PEM (Positron Emission Mammography) to complement their existing anatomical tools by providing a critical three-dimensional metabolic perspective of breast cancer. The metabolic view allows physicians to make the optimal cancer care decisions by providing an unprecedented ability to distinguish between benign and malignant lesions in what researchers call "specificity". A recent multi-center NIH-sponsored study comparing PEM and MRI highlighted that PEM had improved specificity relative to MRI at comparable sensitivity, what researchers use to describe the ability to see lesions.

The Darlene G. Cass Women's Imaging Center has been a leader in breast imaging services in the Dallas area for more than 20 years, performing more than 50,000 breast imaging procedures annually. The Women's Imaging Center, which is fully accredited in mammography, stereotactic breast biopsy, breast ultrasound and ultrasound-guided breast biopsy, now adds PEM to its imaging services.

source: Naviscan

How Do You Improve Mammogram Accuracy? Add Noise

Members of a Syracuse University research team have shown that an obscure phenomenon called stochastic resonance (SR) can improve the clarity of signals in systems such as radar, sonar and even radiography, used in medical clinics to detect signs of breast cancer. It does this by adding carefully selected noise to the system.

The result has been a distinct improvement in the system's ability to correctly identify precancerous lesions, plus a 36 percent reduction in false positives. The inventors have developed a novel method of calculating precisely the correct type and level of noise to add to existing noise in radiography or a similar system.

source: Medical News Today

Elevated-Risk Women Refuse MRI Breast Cancer Screening

ScienceDaily (Dec. 22, 2009) — In a new study published in the January issue of Radiology, 42 percent of women eligible for breast cancer screening with MRI declined to undergo the procedure.

"Given that MRI is promoted as a very sensitive test to identify early breast cancer, we were surprised that barely half of women at increased risk for breast cancer would undergo MRI even when offered at no cost," said Wendie A. Berg, M.D., Ph.D., breast imaging specialist at American Radiology Services, Johns Hopkins -- Green Spring Station in Lutherville, Md. "This suggests the need for alternative methods, such as ultrasound, to help screen women at increased risk for breast cancer."

Some groups of women who are at high risk for breast cancer need to begin screening at a younger age, because they often develop cancer earlier than women at average risk. However, women below age 50 are more likely to have dense breast tissue, which can limit the effectiveness of mammography as a screening tool.

source: Science Daiy release

Dilon Diagnostics Gamma-Guided Localization System Cleared by FDA

GammaLoc(R) Helps Locate Breast Lesions Quickly and Accurately for Biopsy

NEWPORT NEWS, Va., Dec. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Dilon Diagnostics announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted 510(k) clearance for its lesion-localization system for molecular imaging biopsy guidance.

GammaLoc(®), pronounced "gamma-loke", is a complementary technology to Dilon's cornerstone product, the Dilon 6800(®) Gamma Camera. The GammaLoc(®) (GL) system will help doctors accurately locate breast lesions and enable gamma-guided biopsies, particularly useful for patients that have findings on the Dilon system that are not revealed with other imaging modalities.

The GammaLoc(® )system utilizes a CorreLocator(TM) paddle and a StereoView(TM) imaging collimator system - a technique similar to that used in stereotactic X-ray localization, and the GammaLoc(®) software calculates the specific location of the suspect lesion. The compact design allows for breast biopsies with optimal patient comfort; and the entire system is small and portable, allowing physicians to perform molecular imaging guided biopsy procedures anywhere on site.

"Thanks to the superior performance of the Dilon 6800 camera combined with this new biopsy-guidance capability, physicians will find it easier to locate suspicious lesions seen with molecular breast imaging, greatly facilitating and expediting the biopsy process," said Robert Moussa, President and CEO of Dilon Diagnostics. "This recent innovation helps physicians improve patient management and confidently deliver faster, more accurate results to their anxious patients."

source: PR Newswire

Mammography Use and False Positives Among Women Younger Than 40 Years Old Differ Between Minority Populations

HOUSTON - Breast cancer screening guidelines generally recommend mammography begin at age 40. However, based on prior national research, an estimated 34 percent of non-Hispanic black women, 30 percent of non-Hispanic white women and 22 percent of Hispanic women aged 30 to 39 have reported having a mammogram.

"Our goals are to better understand who these women are that are getting mammograms at such a young age and their outcomes," said Julie M. Kapp, Ph.D., M.P.H., assistant professor at the University of Missouri-Columbia and lead author of the study, who presented the data at the American Association for Cancer Research Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research Conference, Dec. 6-9 in Houston.

Through the NCI Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium, the researchers examined the first mammograms of women aged 18 to 39 with no prior history of breast cancer. The sample included 99,615 mammograms.

Even though the risk of developing breast cancer before age 40 is lower than 1 percent, research showed that the majority of first mammograms in this study were for screening purposes, rather than evaluation of a breast problem. Screening mammograms ranged from 69 percent among black women to 81 percent among Asian women.

source: AACR

New FDA Approved Breast Cancer Screening Tool

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Dec. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- The FDA has approved new technology that now allows radiologists to detect breast cancer sooner and faster. The SonoCine Automated Whole-breast Ultrasound Method and is being offered by only one facility in Arizona - Arizona Breastnet, in Scottsdale. This unique technology is designed specifically as a breast cancer screening tool to enhance yearly mammography screening. Until now, ultrasound has only been used for diagnostic purposes - not for screening for breast cancer.

A new study, published in European Radiology, found that adding the SonoCine automated whole-breast ultrasound exam to the annual mammogram doubled the number of cancers found in a group representing approximately 40% of all women seeking annual mammograms. This contrasts with previous studies which have examined the use of additional tests only on women with significantly elevated risks of developing breast cancer.

Local radiologist, Belinda Barclay-White, MD, is the first physician to offer this technology in Arizona, and has already experienced its powerful capabilities.

According to Dr. Barclay-White, "87% of all breast cancers are found in women who have none of the traditional risk factors, such as family history. There have been many studies done on women with the BRAC1 and BRAC2 breast cancer gene and other risk factors, but not much is being done for relatively normal women for whom the mammogram does not always provide a complete picture."

source: PR Newswire

Philips Introduces Multi-modality Breast Workspace to Complement Comprehensive Portfolio of Diagnostic Imaging Solutions for Breast Care

Chicago, USA – At this year’s annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) will introduce the Integral Breast Workspace, a set of solutions that provides radiologists the ability to review multi-modality breast images at one workspot to help drive quality and efficiency. Showcasing its commitment to breast care, Philips will also highlight new capabilities for its portfolio of diagnostic imaging systems in Mammography, Ultrasound and MRI.

Globally, breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among women. New guidelines suggest a multi-modality approach to screening, diagnosis and management. With an increasing number of patients and the need to review data from multiple modalities, radiologists are challenged with keeping up with the volume of studies that must be interpreted and reported on multiple workstations. Philips Integral Breast Workspace addresses this need for integrated image and information management.

"Think of all the duplicate work we currently do with all the separate systems," said Gillian Newstead, M.D., director of Clinical Breast Imaging at the University of Chicago. "Integration will save us a lot of time. And, at the same time it connects to better care for the patients by more accurately relating findings from the different modalities."

source: Philips Healthcare