New breast cancer imaging technology is being developed by Specialty Scanners to provide additional benefits, and mitigate some of the limitations, in x-ray mammography
Existing x-ray breast screening equipment is far from ideal.
This has led to an increasing interest in MR Imaging (MRI).
But at the moment this is only available in the form of general-purpose MR scanners, not the most efficient for scanning the breast.
The lack of MR scanners dedicated to this task is seen as an important technical barrier, which has to be broken.
MR technology is at the cutting edge of progress in medical diagnostic imaging.
It offers to medicine today what x-ray technology offered some decades ago.
Simply put, during MR imaging, one images the hydrogen component of the water distributed around the human body.
The human body consists of approximately 60-70% water, made up of hydrogen and oxygen atoms. It is believed that MR is a safer way of imaging living tissue in a multitude of planes so that clear two- dimensional images can be obtained from a series of cross-sectional 'slices'. Images of these slices can be viewed individually or, with the aid of a computer, three-dimensional representations of human anatomy can be produced.
Specialty Scanners is working in partnership on this Medlink project with the Institute of Cancer Research (in association with the Royal Marsden Hospital), and the Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils (CCLRC).
The Department of Health and Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (ESPRC), is providing active support with an £800,000 grant.
Martin Leach, chairman of Specialty Scanners, says the consortium, which started work in April, "has already made excellent progress in the execution of its dedicated breast MR scanner development project." Specialty Scanners believes its technology for a truly dedicated breast MR scanner can provide women with a number of benefits.
There is no pain, and unlike the existing x-ray mammography no compression of the breast is required.
There is no harmful radiation.
Unlike the general purpose MR scanners, there is no 'tunnel', so there is less claustrophobia and less anxiety for patients.
There is improved imaging of young women's breasts, which cannot be imaged well with x-ray mammography.
There is improved diagnosis of problems with implants.
The scanning is quicker, with a very short standing and waiting time.
And there is the potential for lower cost per scan.
The Department of Health (through its Central Research and Development Committee's Cancer Advisory Group) has identified MR imaging in the management of breast cancer cases as one of "the top R and D priorities for the NHS".
It has commissioned research (with a budget of £4.5 million over five years) to investigate MR imaging for targeted screening of women with a genetic risk of breast cancer.
Specialty Scanners believes that its dedicated technology will help breast cancer care professionals fight the disease more effectively.
Ali Akgun, chief executive of Specialty Scanners says: "A general purpose tool will not do the job as well as a dedicated tool.
At present, women do not have access to an MR scanner which is truly dedicated to the imaging of the breast.
We believe Specialty Scanner's scanner will be a valuable addition to the tools available to breast healthcare professionals in the fight against breast cancer."
