Gamma Medica Announces Pennsylvania’s First Clinical Installation of LumaGEM® Molecular Breast Imaging System at Einstein Medical Center Philadelphia

Secondary screening method significantly improves early cancer detection for women with dense breast tissue

SALEM, N.H. & PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Gamma Medica, a leader in molecular breast imaging (MBI) technology, today announced that Einstein Medical Center Philadelphia has installed Pennsylvania’s first clinical LumaGEM® Molecular Breast Imaging system. MBI is a proven, effective supplementary screening method to standard mammography and/or tomosynthesis (3D mammography), significantly increasing early detection of breast cancer in women.¹

In the U.S., approximately 50 percent of women are reported to have dense breast tissue, but many women do not realize they have dense breasts or the implications dense breast tissue has on increasing their lifetime risk of breast cancer.² Dense breast tissue and cancer both appear white on mammograms making it difficult to distinguish between the two. It’s like trying to find a snowflake in a snowstorm, which can lead to false negatives or delayed diagnoses.³

“The new installation of the LumaGEM MBI system at Einstein Medical Center Philadelphia now gives women access to a clinically superior diagnostic and secondary breast screening method,” said Philip Croxford, president and CEO of Gamma Medica. “LumaGEM MBI provides the opportunity for personalized breast screenings in women who are at higher risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer, in effect raising the standard in breast cancer detection. We look forward to continued collaboration with the hospital and its affiliates with the goal of improving the lives of women in the area.”

A breakthrough retrospective clinical study published in the August issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology confirmed MBI’s high incremental cancer detection rate: MBI was able to detect 7.7 cancers per 1,000 women screened that were not found using mammography. Approximately 85 percent of these cancers were invasive and 82 percent of the invasive cancers were also node negative, meaning they were detected at an earlier stage and presented a better prognosis. ⁴ While mammograms may fail to detect breast tumors due to tissue density, MBI highlights metabolic activity in these tumors despite breast density, leading to an earlier diagnosis.

“I’m excited about adding this technology to our program so we can help screen so many of our patients who have dense breast tissue,” said Debra Somers Copit, MD, director of breast imaging for Einstein Healthcare Network.

About Gamma Medica, Inc.
Gamma Medica, Inc. is a women’s health company focused on overcoming the limitations of anatomical imaging experienced by mammography and other screening modalities in the early detection of breast cancer. The company’s LumaGEM® MBI system is the first commercially available, FDA-cleared, fully solid-state digital imaging system utilizing dual-head Digital Direct Conversion Gamma Imaging™ (DDCGI™) technology for molecular breast imaging. With over 90 percent sensitivity and specificity, LumaGEM MBI has been shown to significantly improve cancer detection in women with dense breast tissue with fewer false positives relative to anatomical imaging technologies, such as MRI and whole breast ultrasound. For more information visit, www.gammamedica.com.

About Einstein Healthcare Network
Einstein Healthcare Network is a 1,044-bed integrated delivery network with more than 8,500 employees serving the communities of Philadelphia and Montgomery County, Pa. Einstein Medical Center Philadelphia is the largest independent academic medical center in the Philadelphia region training over 3,500 health professional students each year with 400 residents in more than 30 accredited programs. The network also provides a comprehensive range of healthcare services through Einstein Medical Center Elkins Park, Einstein Medical Center Montgomery, MossRehab, Willowcrest, outpatient care centers, and a network of more than 700 primary care physicians and specialists throughout the region. For more information, visit www.einstein.edu or call 1-800-EINSTEIN.

¹ Rhodes DJ, Hruska CB, Conners AL, et al. JOURNAL CLUB: Molecular Breast Imaging at Reduced Radiation Dose for Supplemental Screening in Mammographically Dense Breasts. American Journal of Roentgenology.
² Mandelson MT, et al. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2000; 92: 1081-7
³ Mayo Clinic. Tests and Procedures Mammogram. http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/mammogram/in-depth/dense-breast-tissue/art-20123968?pg=2
⁴ Shermis, RB, Wilson, K, et al. Supplemental Breast Cancer Screening With Molecular Breast Imaging for Women With Dense Breast Tissue. American Journal of Roentgenology. August 2016.