Fujifilm Medical Systems USA has announced at the RSNA 2011 meeting in Chicago that clinical trials for its 3D digital mammography technology will soon commence in the U.S.
Fuji is installing its 3D digital mammography system at selected sites with plans to begin trials as early as December, according to the company. Testing began in Japan in 2010.
Currently approved for sale in Europe, the Fuji Aspire HD Plus full-field digital mammography (FFDM) system upgraded for 3D capabilities provides a volumetric representation of the breast for cancer diagnosis with an average glandular dose that is equivalent to 2D FFDM. Pairs of stereo images of the breast are acquired, then viewed by combining a 3D review workstation and glasses specifically designed to present 3D breast images.
The new 3D system will prove valuable when viewing overlapping tissue, especially in dense breasts, and visualizing abnormalities. A preliminary study at Emory University demonstrated a 23% increase in sensitivity and 46% reduction in patient callbacks compared with FFDM, according to Fuji.
