July 20, 2016 — SonoCiné recently unveiled new 3-D whole breast multiplanar reconstruction software to improve early detection of breast cancer. This new software package augments SonoCiné’s existing Automated Whole Breast Ultrasound (AWBUS) high-resolution transverse imaging technology.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-cleared SonoCiné connects to standard ultrasound machines, and provides a consistent, repeatable scan of the whole breast, including the axilla (underarm / lymph nodes). The new software package offers viewing in three dimensions. It maintains the high-resolution transverse view, and adds the coronal and sagittal views.
"Studies have shown that using the native transverse acquisition plane image is more reliable in detecting both benign and malignant masses," said A. Thomas Stavros, M.D., a board-certified radiologist and breast ultrasound expert. "However, the coronal view is an added method to visualize the lesion once it has been detected, confirm its existence, distinguish it from artifact, and is particularly good for showing spiculation and architectural distortion in malignant masses."
Once an area of suspicion has been identified using SonoCiné AWBUS, users of the new 3-D software will be able to apply whole breast multiplanar reconstruction to further investigate the region. The 3-D view shows the area being interrogated from all three planes — coronal, transverse and sagittal.
"This allows for a more thorough investigation of potential lesions, which can dramatically improve diagnostic abilities," Stavros said. "The fact that we're adding on to existing ultrasound systems is far more cost-effective for healthcare providers, who don't have to invest in dedicated systems or purchase additional ultrasound units. This works with what they already have in their centers."
The development of the 3D software, Davé notes, is in direct response to requests from radiologists and healthcare providers. Women with dense breast tissue are four to five times more likely to develop breast cancer and are notoriously far more difficult to diagnose by mammography alone. Informing women of their breast-tissue type and the increasing availability of better diagnostic tools are growing national trends. The Breast Density and Mammography Reporting Act, pending U.S. legislation, would require doctors to inform patients if they have dense breast tissue so that additional screening options can be explored. Currently, 28 states have regulations requiring such notifications.
For more information: www.sonocine.com
