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"The purpose of this study was to compare MRI and BSGI in women withindeterminate findings after applying mammography and ultrasound. We foundBSGI has virtually equal sensitivity and better specificity than breast MRI inthe diagnosis of breast cancer," said Dr. Leora Lanzkowsky.
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Dr. Leora Lanzkowsky, as Medical Director of the Eisenhower Medical Centerin Rancho Mirage, CA and her colleagues conducted BSGI and breast MRI onpatients with complex, inconclusive mammographic and/or ultrasonic findings.In their group of 48 patients with 63 abnormalities, BSGI and MRI yieldedconsistent results in 37 of these areas and were inconsistent in 26. MRI wasinconclusive in a greater number of benign cases -- 10 versus three on BSGI.Overall, in this group of patients with difficult to diagnose breast findings,the sensitivity of BSGI and MRI was 96 percent and 88 percent respectively;specificity was 46 percent and 27 percent respectively.
The advantages of BSGI over MRI include ease of interpretation with fewerimages generated, and better tolerance of the test by patients. In addition,BSGI can be used in all patients including those with ferromagnetic implantsor renal insufficiency.
BSGI for the study was conducted using a Dilon 6800 Gamma Camera, ahigh-resolution, small field-of-view gamma camera, optimized to perform BSGI.With BSGI, the patient receives a pharmaceutical tracing agent that isabsorbed by all the cells in the body. Due to their increased rate ofmetabolic activity, cancerous cells in the breast absorb a greater amount ofthe tracing agent than the normal surrounding tissue and generally appear as"hot spots" on the BSGI image.
"Both tests are good in detecting breast cancer with similar sensitivityfor cancer. Along with benefits of cost-effectiveness and comfort, BSGI can bemore helpful in excluding inconclusive MRI results. The use of BSGI in thisgroup can result in fewer unnecessary MRI guided biopsies. The reassurancefrom a truly negative test, indicating that she does not have breast cancer,is priceless information for the patient," said Dr. Lanzkowsky. The work willcontinue at the Nevada Imaging Centers in Las Vegas, where a new state of theart breast center in association with a high risk clinic will incorporate theBreast specific gamma imaging technology with other state of the arttechnologies in the assessment of women with both moderate as well as highrisk for the development of breast cancer.
About Dilon Technologies
Dilon Technologies Inc. is bringing innovative new medical imagingproducts to market. Dilon's cornerstone product, the Dilon 6800, is ahigh-resolution, small field-of-view gamma camera, optimized to perform BSGI,a molecular breast imaging procedure which images the metabolic activity ofbreast lesions through radiotracer uptake. Many leading medical centers aroundthe country are now offering BSGI to their patients, including: CornellUniversity Medical Center, New York; George Washington University MedicalCenter, Washington, D.C.; and The Rose, Houston. For more information onDilon Technologies please visit http://www.dilon.com.
SOURCE Dilon Technologies Inc.
