According to the American Cancer Society, around 232,340 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women in 2013; 64,640 will be diagnosed with new cases of carcinoma in situ (CIS), a non-invasive early form of breast cancer; and 39,620 women will die from breast cancer. Next to skin cancer, it is the most common cancer among American women, affecting 1 in 8 during their lifetime. While the numbers are alarming, early detection, new therapies, technology and awareness has resulted in the reduction of female breast cancer incidence after several decades of growth.
The improvement of imaging technology is one of the contributing factors lowering the rate of breast cancer. The Mammography Specialists Medical Group (MSMG) in Los Gatos, California is installing the VuCOMP M-Vu Computer-Aided Detection System for Mammography to provide its patients with one of the best imaging solutions currently available in the market.
The M-Vu CAD system helps radiologist detect breast cancer earlier, thereby giving women a better chance for a positive outcome. This platform uses state of the art mathematical algorithms to analyze mammographic images and mark areas considered suspect.
"They have advanced CAD beyond what other vendors have been able to develop. I want CAD to guide me to the spots that I would normally find more suspicious, and VuCOMP does that very well. VuCOMP is on the forefront of CAD technology," said Ralph Smathers, MD, president and founder of MSMG.
The M-Vu system is designed to simplify a very complex procedure, and once it is configured the operation is fully automatic. The platform provides:
- Integration with mammography systems, review workstations, PACS systems, and printers
- Support for up to four mammography systems with a single M-Vu system
- Output formats including DICOM structured reports, DICOM 6000, and DICOM embedded
- 10/100/1000 Base-T Ethernet connectivity
- Processes up to 30 cases per hour
The M-Vu CAD received FDA approval in October 2012, under new strict guidelines designed to prove the effectiveness of CAD systems. It is the first mammography CAD product in the world to achieve FDA approval under these clinical study guidelines.
"Dr. Smathers and his colleagues at MSMG have a track record of using the most advanced technology possible to serve their patients. We are very pleased that our CAD system will help them continue to improve that work," said Jeff Wehnes, president and CEO of VuCOMP.
Edited by
Blaise McNamee
