A new super-fast scanner will help to detect breast cancer in just 10 minutes. The breakthrough offers hope for early detection in women with dense breast tissue. Experts believe it will find tumours that traditional mammograms often miss.
Known as ultra-fast molecular breast imaging (UFMBI), the pioneering technology creates 3D scans and is specially designed to pick up cancers in women with dense breast tissue. It affects up to 40% of women and can make mammograms less reliable. A working prototype of the system has been developed and is currently being trialled in Newcastle. Current mammograms can struggle to spot breast cancer in dense tissue, where both the tissue and any potential tumours appear white on the scan, making it harder to see the difference.
While extra scans like MRIs can help, they’re expensive and take up to an hour to complete, and not ideal for routine screening. The new scanner uses a special tracer that “lights up” cancer cells, offering greater precision, faster results, and much lower radiation exposure than existing systems. It also gives a clear 3D image, meaning doctors can pinpoint the exact location of any tumour more easily.
Dr Nerys Forester, consultant breast radiologist at Newcastle Hospitals, said: “Around 40% of women have dense breast tissue, but this only becomes evident when they attend their mammogram. This is not usually a cause for concern as screening with mammograms is effective, but women with dense breast tissue do have a slightly increased risk of getting breast cancer.
“Finding new technologies that can improve our ability to detect breast cancer in dense breasts is really important. We are delighted with the progress we have made with Kromek, Newcastle University and UCL since the project began in 2022. Our hope is that this technology could ultimately save more lives lost to breast cancer in the future.”
Dr George Petrides, consultant radiologist in Nuclear Medicine at Newcastle Hospitals, added: “We are really excited by the advances in technology that are being achieved as part of the project.
“This technology has the potential to make a real difference in breast cancer screening and aspects of the project could in fact have a wider impact in nuclear medicine scanning.”
The project has received £2.5 million in funding from Innovate UK and will enter clinical trials once prototype testing is complete.
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Dr Arnab Basu, CEO of Kromek, said: “Ultra-fast molecular breast imaging technology has the capacity to save women’s lives by enabling earlier, faster, more accurate detection of aggressive breast cancers, especially in those with dense breast tissue where conventional mammography often fails.
“With cutting-edge cadmium zinc telluride detectors and advanced electronics, this technology delivers faster scans at a lower radiation dose, transforming a standard 2D image into a precise 3D view. Currently in prototype trials at Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals, the system is poised to make breast cancer screening both more effective and accessible for those most at risk.”
Professor Kris Thielemans, professor in medical imaging physics at UCL, told how the project represented “an important opportunity for advancing breast cancer detection and improving diagnostic options for women with dense breast tissue”.
He added: “By developing this imaging technology, we are moving closer to making early detection accessible and more effective for a broader range of patients.
“Our collaboration has made excellent progress, and we are hopeful that this technology will play a key role in supporting better health outcomes.
“Furthermore, I believe that this novel technology has considerable potential for applications beyond breast imaging.”
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