Gamma Medica And Henry Ford Cancer Institute Announce The Availability Of LumaGEM Molecular Breast Imaging (MBI) Machine

WEST BLOOMFIELD, Mich. & SALEM, N.H.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Gamma Medica, a leader in molecular breast imaging (MBI) technology, today announced that the Henry Ford Cancer Institute has installed Gamma Medica’s LumaGEM® Molecular Breast Imaging system, which is the first MBI machine in Michigan. MBI is a proven, effective supplementary screening method to standard mammography and/or tomosynthesis (3D mammography), significantly increasing early detection of breast cancer in women.¹ The new system can be found at the Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital where it will provide diagnostic and secondary screenings to women who have a higher risk of breast cancer and with dense breast tissue.

Approximately 50 percent of U.S. women are reported to have dense breast tissue. Unfortunately, many do not realize that they have dense tissue, or the implications dense breast tissue has on increasing their lifetime risk of breast cancer.² Additionally, both dense breast tissue and cancer appear white on mammograms, making it difficult to distinguish between the two. It’s like trying to find a snowflake in a snowstorm, which can lead to false negatives or delayed diagnoses.³

“The new installation of the LumaGEM MBI system at the Henry Ford Cancer Institute gives women in Michigan and surrounding areas access to a clinically superior diagnostic and secondary breast screening method,” said Philip Croxford, president and CEO of Gamma Medica. “We are delighted to be able to partner with the Henry Ford Cancer Institute and look forward to collaborating with them to help improve early cancer detection for women who are at greater risk. We believe MBI will ensure that more women have the opportunity to receive personalized breast screenings and improved clinical outcomes.”

A prospective study conducted by the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN found that the addition of MBI to mammography significantly increased the detection of breast cancer in women with dense breast tissue.⁴ The following year, a retrospective clinical study published in the American Journal of Roentgenology’s August 2016 issue confirmed these findings. This study involved nearly 1,700 women with dense breast tissue over a three year period and found that LumaGEM had an incremental cancer detection rate of 7.7 cancers per thousand (7.7/1000) over mammography (which detects 3.0/1000 alone). Approximately 85 percent of the cancers found in the study were confirmed to be invasive, of which 82 percent were node negative, indicating they were detected at an early stage and therefore presented a better prognosis.⁵ Clinical research also showcases that the use of LumaGEM reduces biopsies, often painful and costly, by 50 percent, compared to other modalities.⁶ The MBI procedure requires minimal breast compression; patients are able to sit comfortably throughout the exam and results are typically available the same day.

“The Henry Ford Cancer Institute offers some of the most advanced screening options available to our patients, and this technology brings added imaging capability for women with dense breast tissue,” says Patricia Miller, M.D., director of Breast Imaging at Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital.

The new technology was made possible by philanthropic support and donations.

About Gamma Medica, Inc.
Gamma Medica, Inc. is a women’s health company focused on overcoming the limitations of anatomical imaging experienced by mammography and other screening modalities in the early detection of breast cancer. The company’s LumaGEM® MBI system is the first commercially available, FDA-cleared, fully solid-state digital imaging system utilizing dual-head Digital Direct Conversion Gamma Imaging™ (DDCGI™) technology for molecular breast imaging. With over 90 percent sensitivity and specificity, LumaGEM MBI has been shown to significantly improve cancer detection in women with dense breast tissue with fewer false positives relative to anatomical imaging technologies, such as MRI and whole breast ultrasound. For more information visit, www.gammamedica.com.

About the Henry Ford Cancer Institute
The Henry Ford Cancer Institute is one of the largest cancer programs in Michigan, providing care at four hospitals and four outpatient facilities throughout southeast Michigan. Treatment for the most complex or rare cancers and the Institute’s extensive cancer research program is anchored by Henry Ford Hospital. For more information, visit www.henryford.com/cancer.

¹ Rhodes DJ, Hruska CB, Conners AL, et al. JOURNAL CLUB: Molecular Breast Imaging at Reduced Radiation Dose for Supplemental Screening in Mammographically Dense Breasts. American Journal of Roentgenology. 2015;204(2):241-251.
² Mandelson MT, et al. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2000; 92: 1081-7
³ Mayo Clinic. Tests and Procedures Mammogram. http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/mammogram/in-depth/dense-breast-tissue/art-20123968?pg=2
⁴ Rhodes DJ, Hruska CB, Conners AL, et al. JOURNAL CLUB: Molecular Breast Imaging at Reduced Radiation Dose for Supplemental Screening in Mammographically Dense Breasts. American Journal of Roentgenology. 2015;204(2):241-251.
⁵ Shermis, RB, Wilson, K, et al. Supplemental Breast Cancer Screening With Molecular Breast Imaging for Women With Dense Breast Tissue. American Journal of Roentgenology. August 2016.
⁶ Rhodes DJ, Hruska CB, Conners AL, et al. JOURNAL CLUB: Molecular Breast Imaging at Reduced Radiation Dose for Supplemental Screening in Mammographically Dense Breasts. American Journal of Roentgenology. 2015;204(2):241-251.