Breast Tomosynthesis Can Rule Out Cancer Without Additional Scan

The first commercially available breast cancer screening and diagnosis system provides the potential of breast tomosynthesis, a cutting-edge technology poised to transform how breast cancer is currently detected.

Hologic, Inc. (Bedford, MA, USA), a developer, manufacturer, and supplier of diagnostics products, medical imaging systems and surgical products focused on serving the healthcare needs of women, showcased the Selenia Dimensions three-dimensional (3D) mammography and other new, ready-to-market technologies in women's imaging at the 21st annual US National Interdisciplinary Breast Center Conference (NCBC) in Las Vegas, NV, USA, March 12-16, 2011. The NCBC is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to excellence in breast healthcare for the public.

Mammography systems using traditional 2D imaging have limitations caused by tissue overlapping, tissue in the breast that may hide lesions, or cause benign areas to appear suspicious. In clinical studies, radiologists reading 2D plus 3D mammography (breast tomosynthesis) compared to 2D mammography alone demonstrated superior clinical performance in specificity, the confidence to rule out breast cancer without recalling the patient for additional study, and also demonstrated improved sensitivity, the proportion of mammograms that include breast cancers that were correctly diagnosed.

Hologic's Selenia Dimensions systems are installed in more than a dozen countries and cleared for sale in 40 countries. Selenia Dimensions 3D was approved for sale in the United States by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on February 11, 2011.

Selenia Dimensions provides the exceptional 2D images the industry has come to expect from Hologic and, for the first time ever, gives radiologists the option of offering their patients a conventional 2D digital mammogram and a 3D tomosynthesis exam all under one compression, in just seconds, at a combined X-ray dose below the FDA's acceptable maximum guidelines for screening mammography.

Also shown for the first time at NCBC are two new products designed specifically for our Selenia Dimensions 2D/3D system: the Affirm upright breast biopsy-guidance system and ImageChecker 3D Calc computer-aided detection (CAD). Affirm is cleared for sale in the United States. ImageChecker 3D Calc is a work in progress and is not available for sale in the United States.

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