Mountain View, CA - October 17, 2012 - El Camino Hospital today announced the launch of its comprehensive high risk breast program, the only one in Northern California. The program, a collaboration between the Women's Hospital, Genomic Medicine Institute, Cancer Center and Imaging Services, aims to identify women who are at high risk for developing breast cancer at some point in their lifetime and help them manage their risk or the resulting diagnosis.
"Approximately 3-6% of the mammography population –who have no history of cancer – fall into the high risk category," said Michele Van Zuiden, Executive Director, Women's Hospital. "This comprehensive offering will allow us to help our patients assess and understand their lifetime risk and then make informed choices about further testing, diagnosis, risk reduction strategies and treatment options."
The first component of the program is a risk assessment tool offered to all Breast Health Center mammogram patients and completed via tablet while they wait for their appointment. The results, along with their mammogram results, are shared with patients and with the patient's referring physician. All identified high-risk women will be contacted by a nurse within a week after the test to discuss additional screening options like genetic counseling and BRCA testing. The Breast Health Center also recently adopted Volpara, breast density measurement software, which helps radiologists assess breast density more objectively and determine who might benefit from additional screening.
Another key component of the program is the use of advanced diagnostic equipment, including the most powerful breast MRI on the market and a new 3D breast ultrasound. El Camino Hospital is the first hospital in Northern California to offer this advanced 3D screening option especially critical for women identified to have dense breast tissue. Once identified, patients will be advised to schedule an appointment for the recently FDA-approved somo•v® Automated Breast Ultrasound (ABUS) system used in addition to mammography for asymptomatic women with dense breast tissue. In clinical studies, ABUS found 30% more cancers in women who have a normal mammogram, normal examination and dense breasts.
"For nearly 40% of women who have dense breasts, a mammography is often not enough to detect breast cancer," states Imtiaz Qureshi, MD, medical director and chief of radiology at El Camino Hospital. "We are excited to bring this advanced technology to our patients, giving women with dense breasts an added screening option, that done in concert with mammography and other objective measurement tools, will help us increase the likelihood of an accurate diagnosis and earlier detection."
El Camino Hospital is an FDA Certified Mammography Facility, is recognized by the American College of Radiology as Breast Imaging Center of Excellence and a member of the National Consortium of Breast Centers. For more information about the High Risk Breast Program, patients are encouraged to contact El Camino Hospital by visiting our High-Risk Breast Program page.
About U-Systems (makers of somo•v®)
As the leader in automated breast ultrasound, U-Systems is establishing the standard for breast ultrasound screening.
About Matakina (makers of Volpara)
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. For more information visit the Matakina website.