"As a result, ProFound AI as a clinical tool for radiologists has the potential to reduce interval cancer rates by detecting cancers that are already present in the screening round but are perhaps undetected or missed by the readers," continued Dr. Gräwingholt. "Using this technology at the screening level could limit the number of false negatives and help to detect a large proportion of the minimal sign cancers, which could ensure earlier treatment and better chances of recovery for these women."

"This study contributes to the growing body of evidence that demonstrates the clear value ProFound AI for 2D Mammography can offer to screening programs across Europe, benefiting both the patient and the clinician," said Michele Debain, Vice President of Europe, Middle East and Africa at iCAD. "It is essential to detect breast cancers as early as possible, as the cancer can grow, develop and spread. Earlier cancer detection allows for earlier treatment, which in turn could lead to less stress for the patient and lower costs for the national health systems. In addition, the rate of interval cancers is typically used as a measure for the quality of the national mammography screening program."

iCAD's Breast Health Solutions suite includes ProFound AI for Digital Breast Tomosynthesis (DBT) and software solutions for 2D mammography, risk evaluation and breast density. In 2018, ProFound AI for DBT received its CE mark, Health Canada approval and was the first 3D tomosynthesis software using AI to receive clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). ProFound AI for 2D Mammography received a CE mark in July 2019. In a reader study published in Radiology, ProFound AI for DBT was shown to offer clinically proven time-savings benefits to radiologists, reducing reading time by 52.7 percent, improving radiologist sensitivity by 8 percent, and reducing false positives and unnecessary patient recall rates by 7.2 percent.[2]

Dr. Axel Gräwingholt is a radiologist specializing in breast imaging. He is a co-owner of a private radiology institute in Germany with a screening unit for the German official breast cancer screening program, and he is also involved in several screening programs in Europe as a reader (Germany, Switzerland, Norway). Dr. Gräwingholt also participated in the TOSYMA trial in Germany to assess the value of tomosynthesis in organized screening programs. He is clinical co-chair of the European guidelines for breast cancer (ECIBC), and he is a lecturer on courses about mammography and tomosynthesis screening in different countries, including Switzerland, Armenia, China and Greece.

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