For Immediate Release - November 11, 2004

Tomosynthesis is a 3-D imaging technology that involves the acquisition of multiple images of a stationary compressed breast from different angles during a short scan. Tomosynthesis is similar to CT, but unlike CT scans which commonly use 360° revolutions with less than hundred slices, tomosynthesis uses a smaller, selected number of angles with a detector with over 3,000 lines covering the complete breast. Tomosynthesis is also simpler to implement than CT and requires only modest modifications to existing mammography systems, whereas CT requires large complex scanners.

"We are very pleased to receive this award that formally recognizes Hologic as a technology leader in developing innovative imaging systems targeted at improving women's health," said Jack Cumming, Hologic's Chairman and CEO. "Breast tomosynthesis is an enabling technology we believe holds great promise in the early detection of breast cancer. It is our expectation digital breast tomosynthesis will reduce the recall rate of patients as it reduces the uncertainty arising from tissue overlap. In addition, the biopsy rate should also be decreased, as there is a noticeable improvement in visualization of breast tissue, particularly in women with dense breasts. All of us at Hologic remain committed to bringing this powerful tool to market in the fight against breast cancer."

Hologic first demonstrated tomosynthesis with patient images and a prototype system as an add-on to its Selenia full field digital mammography system at the Radiological Society of North America meeting in Chicago in November 2003. Clinical trials began in the summer of 2004 at major university research sites in the U.S.

"Tomosynthesis has the potential to revolutionize the practice of mammography by providing superior breast cancer detection with no additional radiation exposure and with improved patient comfort compared to conventional mammography," said Michael Valenti, Frost & Sullivan industry analyst. "Tomosynthesis shows promise for all three major applications of mammography: screening, diagnostic, and interventional. The technology is expected to provide superior detection of small occult lesions that may be missed by current mammography systems, and give radiologists increased confidence in their diagnoses."