MRI-guided breast biopsy becoming more popular
now that biopsy can be done non-surgically and fast
RSNA Booth #3173
INDIANAPOLIS, Nov. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Many of the nation's leading cancer
institutions are touting the new advances and capabilities of MRI-guided
breast biopsy, stating that difficult to see breast abnormalities can now be
found and biopsied in a fast, safe and easy way without taking women to
surgery for what is often a non-cancerous diagnosis. Since May, more than 30
cancer centers across the country have started using the ATEC(TM) breast
biopsy device -- the industry's leading vacuum assisted breast biopsy system
that can be used in the same room as the MRI magnet.
Suros is displaying its MRI-guided breast biopsy capabilities with the
ATEC(TM) system during this week's RSNA conference at booth #3173. Daily
hands-on demonstrations of the ATEC(TM) system are available at 1 p.m. at the
Suros booth. The ATEC(TM) is the only vacuum assisted breast biopsy device
compatible with all three of the most common diagnostic imaging modalities --
ultrasound, stereotactic and MRI.
Physicians at noted cancer centers such as the Lynn Sage Breast Center in
Chicago, Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla., Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer
Center in New York, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, Stanford Hospitals and
Clinics in Stanford, Calif., and the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center
in Philadelphia are now performing outpatient MRI-guided breast biopsy with
the ATEC(TM) breast biopsy system. And with biopsies only taking an average
of 30-40 minutes to perform, the new technology is saving hospitals and breast
centers time and money, while significantly improving patient care for those
women at high-risk of breast cancer.
"This technology and the ability to easily and quickly biopsy breast
lesions that can often be missed with traditional imaging methods has moved
MRI-guided breast biopsy years ahead of where we were just six months ago,"
said Dr. Elizabeth DePeri, division director of breast imaging at Mayo Clinic
in Jacksonville, Fla. Dr. DePeri specializes in high-risk breast cancer
patients and women who have a family history of the disease. She has
performed more than 40 MRI-guided breast biopsies with the ATEC(TM) system in
six months. During that time, Dr. DePeri has found 10 cancers she said would
have been missed without the MRI technology and the ability to biopsy in fast,
minimally invasive and painless way for the patient.
"It's too early to tell right now just what kind of impact MRI-guided
breast biopsy will have on saving lives due to early detection," DePeri added.
"What we do know is that early detection is the first line of defense in
breast cancer treatment. With the ATEC(TM), we can help women get a diagnosis
without using a scalpel and with less delay and more convenience than surgery
offers."
Dr. Valerie Jackson, immediate past president of the American College of
Radiology and interim chairman of Radiology at Indiana University School of
Medicine, said she sees the technology as a tremendous advancement for women's
health. "This is the last piece of the puzzle that we've needed to be able to
serve high-risk women requiring breast biopsy," she said.
MRI breast scanning is the most sensitive imaging modality available,
detecting suspicious lesions or breast cancer at the earliest possible stage
of development with a 70-90% accuracy rate. MRI is typically used when
evaluating women placed in the high-risk category for developing breast
disease or cancer, including women with previous cancer diagnosis, those with
a family history of breast cancer and dense breast tissue who are more
difficult to screen with imaging technology such as ultrasound or mammography,
and those with breast implants.
According to a recent Dutch study of nearly 2,000 in the high-risk
category for breast disease, MRI breast scans accurately identified breast
tumors 71% of the time vs. mammogram detection at 36%. This same study showed
that MRI scans were 83% effective in identifying invasive cancers, while
mammograms were 26% effective. Statistics like these, said Dr. DePeri, are
solid reasons for using breast MRI and minimally invasive biopsy methods like
the ATEC(TM).
"The new trend in identifying and sampling suspicious areas in the breast
using MRI is a positive move in the right direction for women who had no real
alternative to surgical biopsy until now," said Dr. DePeri. "Minimally
invasive methods of biopsy makes life a lot easier for both women and
radiologists trying to provide the most compassionate care to their patients."
An estimated 1.4 million women will undergo a breast biopsy this year.
For the 10-15% of those women in the high-risk category, the ATEC(TM) system
offers a preferred alternative to surgery. "Having the option of MRI-guided
breast biopsy with the ATEC(TM) is what talked me out of a mastectomy," said a
43-year old Florida woman who had multiple surgical biopsies over the last
decade. "For me, this is a huge advantage."
SOURCE Suros
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Related links:
http://www.surossurgical.com
CONTACT:
Sue Hetzler of Suros, +1-317-402-8690,
shetzler@surossurgical.com
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