Radiology group installs first PEM scanner in New York City

Manhattan Diagnostic Radiology will be the first imaging facility in New York City to offer positron emission mammography (PEM) to image and diagnose early-stage breast cancers, utilizing the PEM Flex scanner from Naviscan.

The technology provides metabolic resolution down to 1.5 millimeters, according to the San Diego-based Naviscan.

"We recently received prestigious designation as a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence from the American College of Radiology acknowledging our commitment to providing the highest level of breast care to our patients," said Craig H. Sherman, MD, senior partner and director of PET/CT imaging at Manhattan Diagnostic Radiology. "We expect that PEM will prove indispensable to effective breast cancer management for both our referring physicians and our patient population."

The PEM scanner uses PET technology to produce high-resolution tomographic images of 1.5 millimeters resolution, allowing physicians to visualize breast tumors about the size of a grain of rice. The scanner is the size of a mammography unit and consists of two high-resolution detector heads which are placed in close proximity to the breast, Naviscan said.

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