New Technology Detects Breast Malignancy
A research team from the Mayo Clinic has developed a new technology for breast imaging. Preliminary data indicates that the system is almost as effective as MRI, but significantly less expensive. The technology was recently presented at the “Era of Hope” Breast Cancer Meeting, a program of the Department of Defense, as reported by Forbes.
The new technology is molecular breast imaging (MBI). The work is still in the early stages of testing and development, though efforts with the technology have already been ongoing over for over six years.
MBI calls for the injection of a radio tracer intravenously. The tracer is picked up by those cells which are overactive compared to most cells. Such cells are more likely to be malignant. The activity of the tracer can be detected with a gamma camera.
Preliminary data with the technology indicates that the approach has 94 percent rate of sensitivity, compared to 98 percent with MRI. This data was collected from a small patient cohort of 48 women who were suspected of having breast cancer. All underwent both MBI and MRI.
This imaging method may be most appropriate for those women who are poor candidates for screening with mammography and would most likely undergo MRI as an alternative. An advantage of this approach is that MBI is not effected by breasts which are more dense. Moreover, this technology is significantly less expensive than MRI.
June 30, 2008 Related topics: New Technology & Innovation, Imaging, Diagnostic