Baylor University Medical Center has added positron emission mammography (PEM) to its arsenal of imaging available to treat breast cancer.
The new scanner can provide physicians with a 3-D image of a breast cancer tumors the size of a grain of rice, according to executives at the Dallas-based hospital.
They said the new scanner, by San Diego-based Naviscan, will allow physicians to make the optimal cancer care decisions by providing the ability to distinguish between benign and malignant lesions.
A recent multi-center, NIH-sponsored study comparing PEM and MRI indicated PEM has improved specificity relative to MRI at comparable sensitivity – which researchers use to describe the ability to see lesions.
The Darlene G. Cass Women's Imaging Center has been a leader in breast imaging services in the Dallas area for more than 20 years, performing more than 50,000 breast imaging procedures annually. The center, which is fully accredited in mammography, stereotactic breast biopsy, breast ultrasound and ultrasound-guided breast biopsy, announced the addition of PEM imaging on Tuesday.
"We recently received prestigious designation as one of five 'Top Women's Imaging Centers to Watch in 2009' from Imaging Technology News acknowledging our commitment to providing the highest level of breast care to our patients," said Zeeshan Shah, MD, at Baylor University.
"Our leading technology, radiology expertise and our dedication to the detection of breast cancer has allowed us to provide exquisite care to thousands of women," Shah added. "Our expectation is that PEM will prove indispensable to effective breast cancer management for both our referring physicians and our patient population."
According to Baylor, the Naviscan PEM scanner uses PET (positron emission tomography) technology to produce high-resolution tomographic images at 2 millimeter resolution. The scanner is the size of a mammography unit and consists of two high-resolution detector heads, which are placed in close proximity to the breast. Compared to the higher-force compression necessary for mammography, the Naviscan PEM scanner uses gentle breast immobilization.
