Site combines leading-edge mammography and biopsy technologies to stay a cut above the competition

Renowned Breast Care Center Plows New Ground
with All-digital Approach

Site combines leading-edge mammography and biopsy technologies to stay a cut above the competition

By Steven K. Wagner

When UDIAT Diagnostic Center outside of Barcelona needed a more reliable PACS system, it built its own-one it now sells to imaging centers throughout Spain.

When it needed a state-of-the-art breast imaging capability, it went all digital-removing its existing analog systems during the transition.

And when UDIAT saw a need for prone breast biopsies, the site became one of the first breast centers in Spain to perform the procedure.

Such daring is what often characterizes leaders in breast imaging. Consistency has been the hallmark of UDIAT, allowing the facility to complete an estimated 27,000 screening mammograms, 8,000 diagnostic mammograms, and 1,000 breast biopsies per year.

Through the years UDIAT has been consistent in its choice of systems suppliers. They buy their breast imaging systems from one supplier - Hologic, of Bedford, MA, USA. Today, UDIAT uses two Hologic Selenia full-field digital mammography systems and a Hologic MultiCare Platinum breast biopsy system. And the site is installing a digital computer-aided detection system, purchased through Hologic, as part of their all-digital solution.

“The Hologic Selenia full field digital mammography system was a natural progression for the Center”

“In the beginning we used Lorad M-II and M-IV analog systems,” said Melcior Sentis, M.D., head of breast imaging at UDIAT. “The Hologic Selenia full field digital mammography system was a natural progression for us.”

Breast biopsy - a key component

So was the MultiCare, which UDIAT installed five years ago and recently updated to replace an upright system that the center had used since 1992. Today, UDIAT is a biopsy referral center for hospitals throughout Spain.

"The Hologic MultiCare biopsy system is a key component of UDIAT's effort to become a completely digital breast center and a breast imaging leader"

“The MultiCare biopsy system is a key component of UDIAT’s successful effort to become a completely digital breast center and a breast imaging leader in Spain,” Dr. Sentis said. “The system’s main advantages are comfort, freedom to access the breast from any angle, and digital access.”

The Selenia advantage

According to Dr. Sentis, UDIAT has achieved several advantages by using selenium detector technology. Of primary importance is improved contrast resolution. “From our experience, selenium is the preferred digital solution because it’s a direct digital solution,” said Dr. Sentis. “We prefer to use photon counting rather than light, and that is provided by selenium.”

By building their digital program on Selenia, UDIAT is preparing for exciting new developments that going digital is expected to bring. Developments like digital breast tomosynthesis now in clinical trials. “The people at Hologic have shown us some very promising results, and I believe it will be a useful tool,” said Dr. Sentis.

Dr. Sentis says patients receive optimal imaging care when the results of their Selenia full field digital mammography systems are combined with other digital tools including CAD and digital breast biopsy. “That’s the main reason—we get new results, and new results in a more scientific way.”

Digital can save money

There were challenges in going digital —not the least of which was cost. But in the end the changeover to digital is expected to save the imaging center money, time and space.

“We have more time to spend with patients because the tech dedicated to managing films has been freed up to help out with patients,” Dr. Sentis said Additionally, digital mammography has reduced the number of patients recalled following screening, and difficult cases can now be managed at the workstation rather than taking up valuable exam room space to re-image them.

“We made the transition to digital because we trust in the digital management of information,” Dr. Sentis said. “The challenge is to ensure that digital mammography can be managed rightly by the PACS. In our experience, and clearly in the experience of others, digital mammography is the best way to go.”