In order to provide patients with optimal breast imaging and comfort with lower X-ray dosage, The University of Tennessee Medical Center offers a MAMMOMAT Novation^DR digital mammography system from Siemens Medical Solutions.

According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.®, breast cancer incidence in women has increased from one in 20 in 1960 to one in eight today. If detected early, the five-year survival rate for this disease exceeds 95%¹. MAMMOMAT Novation^DR enables physicians and clinicians to better pinpoint disease and plan treatment. The system also meets the demands of modern mammography practices such as UT Medical Center by providing digital screening, diagnosis, and stereotactic biopsy capabilities—all in one system.

“Breast self-examination is one of the most important tools for early detection, and regularly scheduled mammograms are not only highly recommended but can often detect a lesion long before it can be felt,” said Vanessa Bramble, Director of Radiology at UT Medical Center. “With this innovative new system, screening, diagnosis and biopsy all can be performed on a single unit, while both image quality and dose exposure reduction achieve an optimum level.”

At 24 by 29 centimeters, the size of the MAMMOMAT Novation^DR image detector allows imaging of a wider range of patient breast sizes, and its new paddle design provides easier and more comfortable patient positioning.

“Our new mammography system will help UT Medical Center provide women in the East Tennessee area with the best possible exams,” Bramble said. “In addition to increased diagnostic capabilities, MAMMOMAT Novation^DR also is designed to reduce the discomfort often associated with mammography.”

The system enables a direct conversion of X-ray to digital information and features MammoReport^Plus, a multi-modality workstation for mammography with the ability to accept CAD markers from approved vendors—which helps increase cancer detection rates. MammoReport^Plus provides ultra-fast, high-volume mammogram reading, permitting users to switch between eight-view mammographic studies in less than one second—improving workflow in the process.

Refrences
1 National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.® website. Accessed 03/24/05; http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org.