BREAST cancer is the most common cancer among women in Malaysia and highly treatable if detected at an early stage. Yet, breast cancer screening remains low among Malaysian women.
Nine individuals die of breast cancer every day, amounting to 3,500 deaths annually, according to the 2018 Malaysian Study on Cancer Survival, highlighting the fact that this disease is still being detected very late among Malaysian women, leading to unnecessary deaths.
With one in 20 women at risk of the disease in Malaysia, early detection is crucial. While most women understand the importance of mammograms to pick up breast cancer at an early stage, the reality is that many still avoid this screening procedure for various reasons. Pain, fear and discomfort are often cited as the main reasons, leading to poor screening rates among women in Malaysia.
However, in Europe and even South Korea, a new technology called Breast CT is being used as a complementary breast imaging method, offering women more options to detect cancer at a very early stage and ensure their lives are protected.
PAIN-FREE
With Breast CT, the two key concerns that women have — pain and discomfort — are effectively addressed as this technology no longer requires the breast to be compressed in order to obtain accurate imaging as is the case with mammograms.
Instead, during imaging, the patient lies flat on her stomach on the scanner table with the breast being examined placed into an opening in the table. No compression is applied during the procedure making it pain-free and much more comfortable for the patient.
The scan parameters are adjustable to accommodate various clinical requirements and patient types, and are applicable even to patients with dense breast tissue or women who have had breast implants.
When we provide women with options in breast imaging which address their concerns, they are more likely to have examinations done regularly and this results in cancer being detected early and lives saved, says Advanced Breast-CT official representative Paul Valckx.
This technology is not widely used in Asia where mammograms remain the gold standard of screening.
"Rather than dismissing their concerns, it's important that we provide women with options which would encourage higher screening rates," stresses Valckx.
Breast CT also works more effectively on women with dense breasts.
Valckx says a significant percentage of women have dense breasts with a higher prevalence among Asian women. In women with dense breasts, mammography images may be more challenging to interpret.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, dense breast tissue can hide cancer. It can be challenging to tell the difference between a tumour and dense breast tissue on a mammogram and this may result in small tumours being missed during screening.
ENHANCED ACCURACY
Accuracy is a key benefit of Breast CT explains Advanced Breast-CT chief market officer Oliver Dietrich.
With this new technology, a single examination takes only seven to 12 seconds while taking up to 12,000 images. With these images a very detailed, full 3D image of the breast is created, ensuring better accuracy in terms of results.
"It certainly can minimise the risk of anything being missed during examination," says Dietrich.
Unlike mammograms, the breast must not be touched for positioning. In the future it may even be possible that women can keep their clothing on during examination with Breast CT as it doesn't affect the scanning process.
Tumours as small as 4mm can be picked up via Breast CT, paving the way for very early treatment of breast cancer and ultimately improving survival rates.
Dietrich says better accuracy doesn't mean women are being exposed to higher levels of radiation during the Breast CT examination.
The radiation exposure with Breast CT is as low as a mammogram and the technology can also be adapted for use in mobile breast screening as long as it's modified to suit local challenges and requirements.