Data Presented Today At Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) Meeting Supports The Potential Of Breast-Specific Gamma Imaging (BSGI) In Reducing Benign Biopsies

CHICAGO, Nov. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Results presented today from a prospective study to evaluate Breast-Specific Gamma Imaging (BSGI) in the detection of breast cancer support the potential of BSGI as a tool to improve breast cancer detection as well as reduce the number of benign biopsies, according to the study authors. This study, performed by Dr. Rachel Brem and colleagues at the George Washington University Medical Center, was presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiology Society of North American (RSNA).

BSGI is a nuclear medicine procedure that images the metabolic activity of breast lesions through radiotracer uptake, specifically imaged using a high-resolution, small field-of-view gamma camera.

"We undertook this study to compare the sensitivity and specificity of BSGI with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with abnormal mammographic findings," said Dr. Rachel Brem, of George Washington University Medical Center.

In the study, both MRI and BSGI were used in 20 women with 29 lesions. The BSGI and MRI images were independently interpreted and the findings were compared. Lesions underwent biopsy or surgical excisions and the pathology was correlated; 28 of the 29 lesions were confirmed via pathology. Breast cancer was found in 8/29 (28 percent) of the lesions, while 20/29 (72 percent) were found to be benign.

The findings indicate both BSGI and MRI are highly sensitive in detecting lesions, with sensitivities of 89 and 100 percent, respectively. However, the two approaches demonstrated significant differences in specificity with specificity of 68 percent for BSGI, and 23 percent for MRI.

"BSGI provides an equivalent sensitivity and improved specificity when compared to MRI in detecting malignant tumors in the breast," according to Dr. Brem. "This technology may provide a means to improve breast cancer detection and reduce the number of benign biopsies. However, due to the small number of patients, larger studies are needed to further compare BSGI with MRI."

Dilon Technologies, LLC is bringing innovative new medical products to market based on research conducted at leading national research laboratories. Recognizing the immediate need for adjunctive diagnostic tools to mammography for early breast cancer detection, the company's first offering is the Dilon 6800 Gamma Camera -- optimized for breast imaging.

BSGI is a molecular breast imaging technique that has proven to be an effective tool in the early detection of breast cancer and in the differentiation of malignant and benign tumors. Better than its predecessor, scintimammography, BSGI relies on the advanced imaging technology of anatomic-specific detectors and superior positioning to optimize the results of functional breast imaging.

Several leading medical centers around the country are now offering BSGI to their patients. These centers include: Beth Israel Medical Center, New York; George Washington Medical Center, Washington, D.C.; Alexian Brothers Medical Center, Chicago; West Houston Medical Center, Houston; Breast Health Institute, Orlando; and West Valley Imaging, Las Vegas.

For more information, visit the company's website: http://www.dilon.com .

CONTACT: Nancy Morter of Dilon Technologies, LLC, +1-757-269-4910, ornfmorter@dilon.com

Web site: http://www.dilon.com/