Digital Imaging for Breast Cancer Diagnosis
Digital Imaging for Breast Cancer Diagnosis
March 9, 2007: The NSW Labor Government says if re-elected, it will pump $26 million into creating a digital mammography network for viewing, storing and transmitting mammograms electronically.
The NSW Premier Morris Iemma, made the election promise on International Women’s Day, yesterday.
By incorporating digital technology into the mammogram process, images can be viewed and assessed instantly simply by sending the images to direct and central reading facilities where expert radiologist are ready to make the assessment. The images will then be stored on a standard database instead of via existing x-ray films.
Digital mammography will provide more detailed and high definition images offering a clearer results and computer-assisted technology to help with a more accurate diagnosis.
The technology will also provide a digital mammography network, providing a database of images and information for medical research.
Breast cancer kills 900 Australian women in NSW alone every year. Iemma says that with early intervention and diagnosis, the breast cancer death rate can decrease by 18 percent.
“That’s many women – mums, grandmothers, sisters, aunties and friends who are still with their families todau because of breast screening and other services,” he says.
A US study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2005 found that modern mammography technology picks up 15 – 28 percent more breast cancers in women under the age of 50.
The NSW Labor Government has also made the promise to establish a Women’s Cancer Heath Register to keep note of cancer check-ups and sent out SMS and email reminders to women.