Report From RSNA: Interest Expands In Breast Imaging Market

Article preview from Medtech Insight - January 30, 2013

Several new modalities are poised to change the way breast cancer screenings and diagnostics are performed as physicians and patients continue to search for technologies that can do more than standard X-rays. Ultrasound, computed tomography, and 3-D imaging are being touted as ways to improve the detection of tumors – especially in women with dense breast tissue – as well as to reduce exposure to radiation. Currently, the market is dominated by large, established manufacturers, but some new players are bringing in innovative options that are poised to push the field forward.

Report From RSNA: Interest Expands In Breast Imaging Market

Article preview from Medtech Insight - January 30, 2013

The use of X-rays in medical imaging has long presented physicians with a difficult balancing act, especially when it comes to the detection and treatment of breast cancer. The technology has proven effective in helping to identify a certain portion of breast tumors; however, X-ray mammography falls short when it comes to finding breast cancer in women with dense breast tissue, and some safety concerns have begun to emerge over excessive exposure to radiation, mirroring that trend in other areas of the diagnostic imaging industry. The limitations of X-rays in detecting breast tumors, particularly those in women with dense breasts, has led to a continual cry for better technology that can not only do more, but do more while also presenting less potential for harm. The demands are high, but a large push from advocacy groups supporting women’s health issues has forced radiologists and device manufacturers to search for better solutions, and some of the results of that search are starting to hit the market.

 

Breast Tomosynthesis

One advance that promises to improve breast imaging is tomosynthesis, commonly referred to as three-dimensional (3-D) mammography. The difference between breast tomosynthesis and a standard digital mammogram is the latter technique involves two X-ray images of each breast, whereas the 3-D method captures multiple, low-dose images from different angles around the breast and reconstructs them into a series of thin, high-resolution slices that can be manipulated to zoom in on suspicious areas. Additionally, both digital mammography and breast tomosynthesis can be performed on the same mammography equipment in rapid succession.

 

 

Breast tomosynthesis has been on the US market since February 2011 when Hologic Inc. received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration for the company’s Selenia Dimensions 3-D digital mammography system. (See "The Evolving World Of Breast Cancer Management" — Medtech Insight, July 2012.) The effectiveness of 3-D imaging was one of the major topics at the recent 98th Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), held this past November in Chicago.

 

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