Diagnostic Imaging • healthcare-in-europe.com

All-in-one digital mammography

Siemens Medical Solutions reports that the first installations have been completed in France, Germany, Italy and Sweden of its new all-in-one system for digital full-field mammography, named Mammomat Novation.

Ultrasound CT for early diagnosis

Karlsruhe, Germany - A new type of ultrasound computed tomography (CT) system promising to improve diagnosis significantly is currently being developed at the Research Centre Karlsruhe.

World's lowest radiation doses

The Swedish firm Sectra reports that its digital MicroDose Mammography system reduces radiation by 80%, compared with traditional film-based systems, and that its completely new detection technology allows this without compromising image quality.

PET and recurrent cancer

More sensitive dissemination tests are needed for patients with locoregionally recurrent (LRR) breast cancer, according to a paper by Dutch researchers published online by the European Journal of Cancer (Volume 40, Issue 10 , 7/2004).

Automated screening & reduced biopsies

Although X-ray mammography can detect small cancers before they have spread. However, because abnormalities can only be identified non-specifically, percutaneous or surgical breast biopsy must follow - but less than 20% of women recalled for biopsies have cancer.

No reimbursement for digital screening

Interviewed by Daniela Zimmermann, Executive Director of EH, Jean Hooks, General Manager, Global Mammography at GE Healthcare, examined reasons behind the slow uptake of digital technology in some European countries, comparing this with its early adoption in the USA

Mobile mammography goes digital

Financed by the Ministry of Health, nine regional screening organisations arrange and implement the Dutch national breast cancer screening programme, in which, every two years, all women from 50-75 years of age are invited for a free mammogram at one of the 62 screening points, of which 56 are mobile vans.

Weighing up the way to go

Austria is the only 'old' EU Member State that has not implemented a national breast cancer screening programme.

Quality assurance first

Germany's Federal Committee of Physicians and Statutory Health Insurance Funds set up three model projects, based in Bremen, Wiesbaden and Weser-Ems, to trial the third edition of the European guidelines on healthcare within the German system and to develop the necessary organisational structures to make these work.

Ploughing vigorously forward

The UK - In the 1990s, the nationally co-ordinated NHS Breast Screening Programme was already saving lives - a 21% fall in breast cancer mortality over the last decade and, with the cervical screening programme, this was viewed as among the best cancer screening programmes in the world. However, in that period, the country's cancer services, as a whole did not match up to those of other European…

Why screen?

Mammography as a diagnostic procedure to evaluate detected tumours is not an issue. But because the technique is performed, in screening programmes, on apparently healthy people, for ethical reasons it becomes an issue.

Worldwide about 600,000 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed annually

Mammography plays a critical part in diagnosing breast cancer. Although this does not prevent the disease, diagnosing breast cancer as early as possible can save lives.

The ESC Congress

25,000 visitors and medical professionals from 47 National Cardiac Societies across central and greater Europe, will attend the 2004 ESC Congress, where 'Diabetes and heart disease' will be the main theme. Lars Ryden, ESC Past-President, team member for the Euro-Heart Survey on Diabetes, and Chairman of the 'Guidelines for Diabetes & the Heart', and William Wijns, co-chair and Chairman of the…

New hospital automates drugs distribution

Forli, Italy - With construction almost completed, the 550-bed Ospedale Nuovo G B Morgagni can now provide state of the art services for the community it serves.

Neuromed buyout

Germany - Diagnostic imaging equipment handler Neuromed Solutions GmbH (est. 1993) has split from the firm's former managing company UMS Neuromed AG.

Cardiac Assist Devices

Cardiac assist devices (CAD) are blood pumps that support the circulatory functions of severely ill cardiac patients.

Taxus

France - Four studies of three TAXUS paclitaxel-eluting stents have demonstrated their safety and efficacy, according to the maker, Boston Scientific Corporation of Natick, Maryland, USA.

3-D simulation

Exomio, a new simulation technique, improves the accuracy of radiation therapy and reduces treatment planning time to a matter of minutes, according to scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics Research IGD, who developed the system with industrial partners MedCom GmbH and Medintec GmbH. They also report that the product has obtained worldwide clinical approval and that 60…

PUI saves costs

Russia & Netherlands - Immediate echocardiographic assessment during consultation rounds can lead to significant cost savings and can shorten the time to diagnosis, according to a new study carried out by teams at the Dept. of Cardiology, Thoraxcentre, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam and the Dept. of Internal Diseases, Medical Academy of Nizhny, Novgorod.

Radiology's leading lady

At this year's ECR in Vienna, Helen Carty, the incoming ECR 2004 president, said she felt both honoured - and rather awed - at being entrusted to lead a congress built on friendship, in which 'disparate nations of many creeds and races, rich and poor, come together to give and to share knowledge, experience and science in this nonconfrontational atmosphere'. Awe is something many radiologists…

SARS

First EU Women's Healthcare Centre opens

The Diagnostic Breast Centre Gottingen has opened the first European Women's Healthcare Centre (WHC). Professor Uwe Fischer, head of the new centre, said: "We have set ourselves the objective, with the help of ultra-modern systems and high-quality processes, to diagnose breast cancer in the very earliest stages."