Ground-breaking breast cancer imaging research developed in the North East has been showcased on the international stage, as the latest results from the project were presented at one of the world’s leading medical imaging conferences in Yokohama, Japan.
The work, led by Kromek and Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, marks the next milestone in developing new technology that could help save lives through earlier and more accurate detection of breast cancer.
The project focuses on improving screening for women with dense breast tissue, which affects up to 40 per cent of women. It can make cancers harder to detect using standard mammography alone because both the tissue and cancers appear white on a mammogram, which means tumours can sometimes be hidden from view.
Working together with Newcastle University and University College London (UCL), the team is developing Ultra-Fast Molecular Breast Imaging (UFMBI™), a new approach that could make scans much quicker, more comfortable and more effective at identifying small cancers (less than 10 mm) at an earlier stage.
Early test results, presented at the conference, showed the potential to reduce scan times from around 40 minutes to as little as 10 minutes, while using a low level of radiation and still detecting small features of around 6 to 8 millimetres.
The studies were conducted using test models representing the anatomy of breast and cancer lesions in two clinical settings – the Royal Victoria Infirmary hospital in Newcastle Upon Tyne and a world-renowned hospital in the USA. These findings mark the most promising results so far for the project. By reducing both scan time and radiation dose while maintaining or even improving image quality, the technology could improve comfort for patients, increase screening capacity and support earlier detection, ultimately helping to save more lives in the future.
The project began in 2019 and is supported by Innovate UK funding. Further work is underway to refine the technology ahead of the next phase of clinical evaluation.
Dr Arnab Basu, chief executive of Kromek, said: “We are very pleased with progress to date which shows real potential for ultra-fast molecular breast imaging for breast cancer screening for women with dense breast tissue. The results show that it can deliver streamlined screening, shorter scan time and reduced radiation dose, while more effectively detecting cancers earlier. The collaboration with our partners has been essential in shaping a system that could one day, save lives.”
Dr Alexander Cherlin, principal physicist and project lead at Kromek who presented to the conference, said: “These results highlight how advances in science and engineering can really improve breast imaging. It shows the value of bringing physics and medicine together to tackle a challenge that affects so many women.”
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