GE Healthcare reaches mammo-growth milestone; more than 1,000 Senographe digital systems installed worldwide

GE Healthcare recently reached the milestone of installing more than 1,000 GE Senographe digital mammography systems worldwide, approximately 600 of which are located in the United States. The Senographe digital family is on display this week at GE Healthcare's booth at the 2005 Arab Health Congress and Exhibition

According to Jean Hooks, general manager of GE Healthcare's global Mammography business, "GE Healthcare is the only manufacturer in the industry today that controls the entire mammography imaging chain from tube, detector to review workstation - and integrates comprehensive customer needs into our roadmap for the future."

Mammography is the only breast imaging procedure approved for screening in the general population. Mammography is also used across breast care for diagnostic and follow-up exams, guiding biopsy procedures using stereotaxy and for surgical planning and localization.

"Healthcare professionals today want to perform total breast imaging. The Senographe family of products meets their needs by making clinical procedures easy and providing a comfortable experience - even in high workload environments," said Hooks.

Introduced earlier this year, Senographe™ DS is the first and only full-field digital mammography system designed to meet all the clinical needs from screening, diagnostic to interventional procedures, using the same detector to optimize image quality and workflow. The system has a patient-centric design and intuitive controls that allow the technologist who performs the exam to focus on her patient and makes the mammography exam an easier and more comfortable experience. Senographe DS and Seno Advantage multi-modality breast imaging workstation are cornerstones of GE's Breastcare Essentials, a complete imaging and information management solution to help healthcare professionals detect breast cancer earlier and treat it more effectively.

Building on the experience in digital mammography, GE continues to improve on image quality. According to Dr. Debra Mitchell, Breast Imaging of Oklahoma, "The Senographe DS with Fine View is another stride in the endless pursuit of the radiologist's ultimate goal - the perfect picture. The outstanding image quality raises clinical confidence to new levels."

The stereotaxy option for breast biopsies on the Senographe DS is a cost-effective alternative to a dedicated interventional room. It enables technologists to quickly transition from initial screening applications to diagnostics, and if needed - on to interventional procedures, all in one room. Biopsies can be performed on the same dedicated gantry with better access to lesions.

According to Dr. Robin Wilson, Director at the Breast Institute, Nottingham, UK, "I particularly like the Senographe DS because of its versatility for interventional procedures. The DS has the major advantage over other upright systems as it provides easy access to virtually every lesion in the breast regardless of its location and breast size by facilitating the use of all the different biopsy devices, including vacuum assisted mammotomy, using either the vertical or lateral approach.


This is its major strength over other upright systems that allow only the vertical approach. Our results with this upright device are as good as any that can be achieved with prone biopsy tables."

GE's Commitment to Developing Innovative Breast Imaging Technologies
Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the world and more than 1.2 million people annually are diagnosed with breast cancer, according to the World Health Organization. According to industry experts, the five-year survival rate in cases of early detection of breast cancer is 95 percent.

GE Healthcare, a leader in the field of mammography since the 1960's, has pioneered several major advancements including the world's first full-field digital mammography (FFDM) system and the use of digital Computer Aided Detection (CAD). It is estimated that more than 20 million women and breast cancer patients are touched by GE Healthcare technologies, based on the number of systems installed and products used around the world.

"Advanced diagnostic technology can make all the difference in aiding early detection, more accurate diagnosis and less aggressive treatment plans for many diseases and conditions," said Joe Hogan, President and CEO of GE Healthcare Technologies.

Designed with the future in mind, the Senographe DS system with its unique ergonomics is also the platform for many advanced applications currently under development such as Tomosynthesis (3D breast imaging). Tomosynthesis as well as imaging fusion of FFDM and Ultrasound, and Contrast Media Mammography are advanced applications aimed to leverage the potential of digital mammography to facilitate the earliest detection of breast cancer, thereby giving a woman the best potential clinical outcome through early treatment.