From left: Dr Winston Clarke, consultant radiologist; Dr Sheila Campbell-Forrester, chief medical officer in the Ministry of Health and Environment; and guest speaker Professor Douglas Kieper, director of clinical research and education at Dilon Technologies, have a chat following the launch of Breast Specific Gamma Imaging in Jamaica at the Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel last Thursday. - Peta-Gaye Clachar/Staff Photographer
X-Ray and Diagnostic Ultrasound Consultants (XDUCL) recently launched a new weapon in the detection and diagnosis of breast cancer - The Dilon 6800 which allows for Breast Specific Gamma Imaging (BSGI).
"We have been aware of the limitations of mammography and have been looking for an alternative for a while," noted Dr Winston Clarke, consultant radiologist at XDUCL at the launch at the Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel recently.
Mammographies miss approximately 15 per cent of breast cancer. BSGI is a procedure which differentiates between cancerous and non-cancerous cells using an image similar to an MRI. Mammograms, on the other hand, are X-rays which reflect tissue densities.
Not a replacement
The diagnostic test is not meant to be a replacement for mammograms, but is ideal when mammograms are inconclusive and further evaluation is needed. It is particularly useful for patients with dense breast tissue, implants, multiple suspicious lesions, clusters or micro-calcifications, palpable lesions not detected by mammography or ultrasound or post-surgical/post-therapeutic masses. It is also useful for those who have taken hormone replacement therapy.
"You can never undermine the value of a negative result," said Professor Douglas Kieper, director of clinical research and education at Dilon Technologies. He explained that women who get inconclusive results often worry about that grey area and this technology helps to clarify that.
It is also useful for surgery and treatment options, so it is recommended for persons with a breast cancer diagnosis before they get treatment.
45-minute procedure
The procedure lasts between 45 minutes to an hour and is said to be more comfortable than a mammogram as less pressure is required to stabilise the breasts. A small dose of radioactive isotope, which acts as a tracing agent, is injected in the breasts. Once the cells absorb this, they emit gamma rays which are detected and translated into a digital image of the breast using the machine.
Because cancerous cells have a higher level of metabolic activity, they will emit a greater amount of isotope than other tissues.
The procedure costs approximately $40-$45,000 per treatment. Dr Clarke noted that one of the company's challenges is that everything used in the process is imported so that contributes to the cost. He explained that they are waiting for indications from insurance companies that they will cover it.
According to the Chief Medical Officer at the Ministry of Health and Environment, Dr Sheila Campbell-Forrester, 433 breast cancer cases (men and women) were reported in public hospitals in 2007 and 454 in 2008.