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New Breast Scanning Device Could Alleviate Risks of Mammography
The benefits and risks of mammography screening have long been debated in the scientific community. According to the National Cancer Institute, while screening may be effective in reducing the number of deaths from breast cancer through early detection of a cancerous tumor, it can, at the same time, cause harm to the woman who is participating. The most common limitations of breast cancer screening can include false-positives, overdiagnosis, false-negatives, discomfort, radiation risk, and anxiety.
Yet a new medical device approved in February by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, may alleviate some of the risks posed by mammograms, according to the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC). The device, which passed the FDA's most stringent premarket approval process, was developed by a URMC startup company, Koning.
The Koning Breast CT system is intended to diagnose cancer in women who have signs or symptoms of the disease, and those who have abnormal findings after a standard mammogram. As of right now, it is not intended to replace annual screenings, yet the use of the new device may help to alleviate the risks of overdiagnosis or false-positives. Because it is also the first breast imaging device that allows for a readable picture without compression of the breast tissue, the Koning Breast CT system is also a more comfortable procedure for patients undergoing treatment.
One risk of standard mammograms that the Koning does not address is exposure to radiation. According to the URMC, the radiation dose is similar to that sustained in a standard mammogram. Exposure to radiation is especially harmful in women under the age of 40, for whom the benefits of annual mammograms most likely outweigh the risk sustained from this amount of radiation, according to the National Cancer Institute. Yet the Institute also estimates that up to one instance of breast cancer is induced by such exposure to radiation per 1,000 women aged 40 to 80 years who are undergoing annual mammograms.
If you or someone you know has experienced negative side effects because of a mammography device, you may be eligible for compensation. Do not go through it alone. Contact an experienced Waukegan defective medical device attorney today.