Gamma Medica Expands Into European Breast Imaging Market

Gamma Medica, a developer of molecular breast imaging (MBI) technology, has partnered with Hospital Services Limited (HSL), a medical device company that distributes, installs and services radiology capital equipment and medical devices. This partnership will provide women with dense breast tissue access to Gamma Medica’s LumaGEM Molecular Breast Imaging system in the United Kingdom, Ireland and the Channel Islands.
 
Women are eligible for the United Kingdom’s NHS breast screening program at age 50-79 years, with women being invited to be screened every three years. Similarly in Ireland, women 50-69 years old are eligible for breast screenings every two years. Dense breast tissue not only increases the risk of developing breast cancer, but decreases the visibility of a cancer on conventional mammograms and other forms of anatomical imaging devices. 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. This may lead to false negatives, unwarranted biopsies or delayed diagnoses.
 
Ideal for dense breast tissue, MBI is a groundbreaking technology that significantly improves early detection of breast cancer in women with dense breast tissue. The technology has proven to be as effective as a secondary screening method compared to ultrasound or MRI with far fewer false positives. Peer-reviewed clinical research reports the use of LumaGEM MBI reduces the need for tissue biopsies by 50 percent compared to other modalities. MBI is also more comfortable and better tolerated by most patients than conventional mammography or MRI.
 
“We are pleased that through our collaboration with HSL, women with dense breasts in the UK, Ireland and the Channel Islands, will soon have access to the LumaGEM MBI technology,” said Philip Croxford, Gamma Medica president and CEO. “This partnership is the first step in Gamma Medica’s global expansion to increase awareness and access to clinical superior breast imaging technology worldwide. Leveraging HSL’s network enables Gamma Medica to continue to promote early detection on an international scale.”
 
A breakthrough retrospective study, which complemented earlier published prospective clinical research, monitored more than 1,700 women with dense breast tissue over a three-year period. The study confirmed LumaGEM’s additional cancer detection rate of 7.7 cancers per 1,000, an increase from three cancers per 1,000 with mammography alone. The study also concluded that of the additional breast cancers found, approximately 85 percent of these cancers were invasive and node negative, indicating they were detected at an early stage and therefore presented the patient with the likelihood of a better prognosis.
 
“Hospital Services Limited distributes market-leading technology and we are thrilled to add Gamma Medica’s LumaGEM Molecular Breast Imaging to our product offerings for our clients,” said Dominic Walsh, CEO of Hospital Services Limited. “Introducing Gamma Medica to the European market will enable women outside of the United States to receive the early detection technology they need. We’re excited to be Gamma Medica’s partner in this endeavor.”
 
Gamma Medica launched the Be Certain campaign in the United States to raise awareness about breast density and breast cancer screening options. By sharing patient and physician testimonials, breast density facts and statistics and the latest news relating to breast density and breast screenings, the educational website aims to provide the most accurate information for physicians, patients and caregivers.
 
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, U.S. Food and Drug Administration-cleared, fully solid-state digital imaging system utilizing dual-head Digital Direct Conversion Gamma Imaging (DDCGI) technology for molecular breast imaging. With more than 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.
 
Hospital Services Limited provides products and services to the healthcare sector in both Ireland and the United Kingdom. HSL’s Radiology division has more than 50 years’ experience working within this diagnostic imaging arena.