New mammography technology aids cancer detection
Mills-Penisula’s Breast Center is among the first in San Mateo County to acquire a powerful new tool to detect early-stage breast cancer, according to Harriet Borofsky, M.D., medical director of Mammography.
“We now have a computer-aided detection (CAD) device that functions like a spellchecker for medical images,” she said.
ImageChecker® is the first and only U.S. FDA-approved computer-aided analog and digital mammography detection system for use in breast cancer screening.
While a radiologist reads a mammogram, ImageChecker digitizes the image. The image is then analyzed for abnormalities. ImageChecker brings abnormalities to the attention of the radiologist by marking “regions of interest” based on known cancer characteristics. The marked areas may or may not be abnormalities, but the radiologist gives the areas a second look anyway.
In clinical trials, the computer detected abnormalities up to 24 months earlier than a traditional mammogram reading.
“We have the potential for saving even more lives through early detection and intervention thanks to this new state-of-the-art detection technology,” Dr. Borofsky said.
“This tool is even more significant when you consider that breast cancer is 95 percent curable if caught in its earliest stages,” she said. “ImageChecker validates what we have said all along: Mammograms are the most effective tool for early breast cancer detection.”
Last year, 242 people were diagnosed and treated for breast cancer at Mills-Peninsula. Sixty-six percent were diagnosed at very early stages. Studies have shown that use of computer-aided detection could increase the chances for early detection by 23 percent.
“Breast self-exams, annual health screenings and good quality mammograms must remain an integral part of a woman’s self-care regimen,” Dr. Borofsky reminds.