Jacobi Medical Center and North Central Bronx Hospital Adopt Volpara Objective Breast Density Measurement to Improve Early Detection of Cancer in Women with Dense Breasts
BRONX, New York, April 9, 2013 – Matakina International today announced the installation of Volpara objective breast density measurement software at Jacobi Medical Center (Jacobi) and North Central Bronx Hospital (NCBH), which comprise the North Bronx Healthcare Network. The Enterprise installation at Jacobi and NCBH - members of the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) - provides the ability to offer objective breast density measurements for all 12,000 mammograms performed annually at Jacobi and NCBH on four Hologic Mammography Systems.
The Company also announced that it will showcase a new version of the Volpara software that is faster and more robust with an easy to use intuitive interface, at the Society of Breast Imaging 11th Annual Postgraduate Course (SBI), April 6-9, 2013 in Los Angeles (Booth #114).
Designed to help overcome the limitations of mammography to detect cancer in women with dense breasts, Volpara generates objective, automatic measurement of volumetric breast density values along with a BI-RADS Breast Density Classification for mammograms acquired from any commercially available digital mammography system.
“Particularly for women with dense breasts, it is important to have the best possible technology and resources available to detect breast cancer early. We are very excited to implement the Volpara breast density software at Jacobi and North Central Bronx. The Volpara software provides a computerized measurement of breast density which will supplement the radiologist’s evaluation. By adding this new technology, we hope to optimize our readings and improve work flow as we comply with the new ‘Breast Density Information’ law. This law mandates that women be informed about their own breast density and its associated risks, and be encouraged to discuss with their physicians the potential benefits of additional screening tests, such as breast ultrasound or MRI. Volpara technology continues to keep our hospital network in the forefront of breast imaging and along with Dr Maria Castaldi, our breast surgeon - we continue to be especially prepared to care for patients with dense breasts,” said Dr Miriam David, Director of Women’s Imaging at Jacobi Medical Center, which is recognized as both Breast Imaging and Breast Surgery Centers of Excellence.
Cleared by the FDA, HealthCanada, the TGA and CE-marked, Volpara is in use at sites across the globe helping radiologists assess breast density more objectively and helping them better consider who might benefit from additional screening. Volpara is a reliable tool which generates objective, automatic measurement of volumetric breast density and a FDA cleared BI-RADS breast density category. Volpara supports most of the major digital mammography systems, can be displayed on digital mammography and PACS workstations and be integrated into mammography reporting systems.
Breast tissue density has not only been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer, it also decreases the sensitivity of the mammogram and thereby may impact early detection. Thirty-five percent of breast cancer goes undetected by mammography in women with dense breasts, as density masks the appearance of tumors (Boyd et al 2007, NEJM). Since both dense breast tissue and cancer appear white on a mammogram, finding cancers can be analogous to looking for a snowball in a snow storm.
“We are excited to work with Jacobi and North Central Bronx to complete an enterprise installation of the Volpara breast density software to ensure that all patient that receive mammograms have the benefit of an objective and accurate breast density measurement,” said Ralph Highnam, PhD, CEO of Matakina International. “With the recent adoption of the NY density inform legislation, they are demonstrating their leadership and commitment to quality patient care by proactively adopting new technology in order to provide the best breast health care for their patients.”
About HHC
The New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) is a $6.7 billion integrated healthcare delivery system with its own 420,000 member health plan, MetroPlus, and is the largest municipal healthcare organization in the country. HHC serves 1.4 million New Yorkers every year and more than 475,000 are uninsured. HHC provides medical, mental health and substance abuse services through its 11 acute care hospitals, four skilled nursing facilities, six large diagnostic and treatment centers and more than 70 community based clinics. HHC Health and Home Care also provides in-home services for New Yorkers. HHC was the 2008 recipient of the National Quality Forum and The Joint Commission's John M. Eisenberg Award for Innovation in Patient Safety and Quality. For more information, visit www.nyc.gov/hhc.
About Matakina
Founded to enable radiologists to give women the most accurate information possible regarding their breast health, Matakina International, Limited is the wholly owned sales and marketing arm of Matakina Technology Limited of New Zealand. Volpara’s founders and Board of Directors includes John Hood, PhD, former Vice Chancellor of the University of Oxford, UK; Ralph Highnam, PhD, former CEO of Mirada Solutions, one of the University of Oxford’s most successful spin-outs of recent times and co-author of the seminal book Mammographic Image Analysis; and Professor Sir Michael Brady, a serial entrepreneur who recently retired from the University of Oxford where he was Professor of Information Technology for 25 years.