New Ultrasound Breast Scanner Begins Operation in Europe

The first models of a new ultrasound system, the automated breast volume scanner (ABVS), have taken up operation in European radiologic and gynecologic clinics and offices. Patients in Switzerland, France, Portugal, Norway, and Germany can now be examined with the new system. Due its more accurate, three-dimensional (3D) image acquisition, the technology is particularly suitable for the diagnosis of very dense breast tissue.

Dr. Frank Stöblen of the Diavero Diagnostic Center (Essen, Germany), is one of the first physicians to use the new ultrasound technology. "The ABVS system is a fascinating advancement from the previous method of manually guided ultrasound examinations. The automated system provides consistent image quality, regardless of the examiner.”

Siemens Healthcare (Erlangen, Germany) recently introduced the Acuson S2000 ABVS, the world's first multifunctional ultrasound breast scanner that automatically acquires volume images of the female breast. The user-independent, standardized images raise ultrasound examinations to a completely new level. Dr. Frank Stöblen, radiologist and co-owner of the Diavero Diagnostic Center in Essen, is convinced that the new ultrasound system with ABVS will become an essential component of breast cancer screening. "This technology will play a key role in early detection. It can also be used for the examination of high-risk patients, for example in case of genetic predisposition or for follow-up during and after cancer treatments.”

The innovative system allows for a much higher early detection rate of breast cancer among women with dense breast tissue. According to the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), dense breast tissue increases the risk of breast cancer for a woman by a factor of five. Conventional mammography will continue to be the method of choice for breast cancer screening. However, a study published by the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA; Oak Brook, IL, USA) in 2002 has documented that the detection rate of nonpalpable, invasive breast cancer increases by 42% if the mammography is combined with an ultrasound examination. "I always perform an additional ultrasound examination for patients with dense breast tissue to be sure that the entire area has been thoroughly scanned,” said Dr. Stöblen.

The automatically acquired, 3D volume images of the new breast scanner provide physicians with data about the entire breast, including a coronal view, which had previously not been available with conventional ultrasound systems. In addition to the automated functions, the Acuson S2000 ABVS allows for all types of manually performed, conventional ultrasound examinations, for instance, biopsies and color Doppler acquisition along with applications such as elastography imaging with the eSieTouch. Dr. Stöblen also likes the image quality of the system, which is a great improvement over previously available ultrasound systems of this type. "The system application is extremely flexible. I can immediately follow up with a manual examination after an automatic image acquisition or use the system for a biopsy if necessary.” All of these components help the physician reach a more accurate diagnosis than with conventional methods.

The automatic image acquisition of the Acuson S2000 ABVS offers significant acceleration of examination procedures. While manually performed ultrasound examinations used to take up to 30 minutes, the new technology shortens the examination time to less than 15 minutes. The documentation is enhanced by a semiautomatic reporting process and the integration of the so-called BI-RADS classification. This Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) is a classification of the American College of Radiology (ACR; Reston, VA, USA) for reporting mammography screenings.

Coronal display of the breast volume images provides an even better overview of the anatomy and architecture of the breast tissue than earlier techniques. These 3D images are now able to display the coronal view of the breast (from the nipple to the breast wall) in slices. This view simplifies and accelerates the diagnosis. Dr. Stöblen is very impressed with this feature of the ABVS scanner, "Coronal views of the breast cannot be generated with conventional ultrasound systems. They are extremely helpful, for example when it comes to planning surgical interventions.”

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