Sectra MicroDose
Sectra will lead EU research-project to decrease mortality in breast cancer
The Swedish IT and medical-technology company Sectra, together with clinical and industrial partners from six European countries, has been awarded EUR 3.6 million from the European Union to combat breast cancer through a research project for high-resolution, low-dose X-ray imaging.
The project comprises development of novel imaging methods based on Sectra´s photon-counting detector technology, which provides the unmatched lowest radiation dose on the market. The objective is to improve early detection and diagnosis of breast cancer and clinical evaluation of the new methods.
In the European Union (EU), breast cancer of all cancers is the most common cause of death for women below seventy years of age and this is one of the largest grants of this type ever awarded by the EU in its efforts to combat breast cancer.
The project is designated “High-Resolution X-ray Imaging for Improved Detection and Diagnosis of Breast Cancer” (HighReX) and will be part of the Sixth EU Framework Program for Research and Technological Development (FP6). Experienced mammography physicians from several European breast-imaging centers are involved in the project to test and evaluate the imaging techniques developed in the project and compare them to existing methods.
Low-dose initiative
In mammography screening operations, low radiation dose is an important factor since healthy women are examined on a relatively frequent number of occasions on a recurring basis. The EU strongly supports the ALARA principle. ALARA is an acronym for As Low As Reasonably Achievable. This is a radiation safety principle for minimizing radiation doses and releases of radioactive materials by employing all reasonable methods. ALARA is not only a sound safety principle but is a regulatory requirement for all radiation safety programs.
In the European Union (EU), breast cancer of all cancers is the most common cause of death for women below seventy years of age and this is one of the largest grants of this type ever awarded by the EU in its efforts to combat breast cancer.
The project is designated “High-Resolution X-ray Imaging for Improved Detection and Diagnosis of Breast Cancer” (HighReX) and will be part of the Sixth EU Framework Program for Research and Technological Development (FP6). Experienced mammography physicians from several European breast-imaging centers are involved in the project to test and evaluate the imaging techniques developed in the project and compare them to existing methods.
Low-dose initiative
In mammography screening operations, low radiation dose is an important factor since healthy women are examined on a relatively frequent number of occasions on a recurring basis. The EU strongly supports the ALARA principle. ALARA is an acronym for As Low As Reasonably Achievable. This is a radiation safety principle for minimizing radiation doses and releases of radioactive materials by employing all reasonable methods. ALARA is not only a sound safety principle but is a regulatory requirement for all radiation safety programs.
Sectra’s photon-counting detector technology
Sectra’s photon-counting detector technology is commercially available through Sectra MicroDose Mammography, a digital mammography system that produce excellent images with the decidedly lowest radiation dose of all systems on the market. Within the HighReX project, Sectra will develop and evaluate novel methods for breast cancer detection and diagnosis, such as 3D/tomosynthesis, dual-energy and contrast mammography. Providing low-dose images with significantly increased contrast and spatial resolution, Sectra’s detector technology is a perfect start for developing these methods. This article was published on 06/11/2007
