Media Statement: Robert Moussa, President and CEO, Dilon Diagnostics

NEWPORT NEWS, Va., Aug. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Radiation in any form brings risk. Medical radiation as a screening, diagnostic or treatment tool is designed with safeguards in mind to minimize the risk and maximize the benefit of the test or treatment. For instance, if a patient presents with a breast lump that can be felt but not viewed with mammography or ultrasound, medical professionals must employ the most appropriate diagnostic tools that identify potential cancer. By not doing so, the risk of missing cancers can be deadly.

Breast-Specific Gamma Imaging (BSGI) is a molecular breast-imaging exam that reveals metabolic activity, which is useful in the diagnostic work-up of a patient with suspected breast cancer. BSGI works on a cellular level that, with the aid of a radiopharmaceutical, identifies areas of increased activity that may indicate disease. BSGI is a complementary tool to mammography (an anatomical exam). In essence, mammography shows what the breast looks like and BSGI shows activity of the breast tissue.

A recent article in the journal Radiology by R. Edward Hendrick, Ph.D., makes a dubious comparison regarding the dose of radiation screening mammography (X-ray) to the radiation used in advanced diagnostic tools, such as BSGI and positron emission mammography (PEM). Dr. James Johnston, Professor of Radiologic Science at Midwestern State University in Texas notes that while this article provides important facts and useful information, the primary message should be one of appropriate use and not condemning any one modality based on an apples and oranges comparison.

As stated in the article, "a single BSGI or PEM is comparable in terms of dose and lifetime risk of cancer induction to a single chest, abdominal, or pelvic CT examination," which are ordered thousands of times each day in the U.S. Furthermore, the same radiopharmaceuticals used in BSGI and PEM studies are used in many other nuclear medicine exams every day such as cardiac stress tests and bone scans, in similar or higher radiation doses. And as Dr. Hendrick noted in the Radiology article, in most cases the balance of risk to benefit favors the use of imaging, but it is up to the patient in consultation with the physician to make an informed decision.

BSGI has led to the detection of countless breast cancers in patients across the U.S. and around the world. Many of these cancers were missed by mammography and ultrasound. BSGI is a recognized medical procedure that utilizes a radiopharmaceutical approved by the FDA, with guidelines for use by the Society of Nuclear Medicine, specifically, "Procedure Guidelines for Breast Scintigraphy with Breast-Specific Gamma Cameras."

Dilon Diagnostics is a medical manufacturer of the Dilon 6800®, a gamma camera optimized to perform BSGI, and is proud to be a leader in delivering such innovative life-saving technologies. "Our mission is to provide progressive healthcare products that enhance the capabilities of the attending physicians and the lives of the patients we serve," said Robert Moussa, President and CEO of Dilon Diagnostics. "We take this responsibility very seriously and would not promote the use of a product or procedure that we would not avail ourselves of." He adds that sensationalism by the media about medical radiation that alarms patients to the degree that they may opt out of potentially life-saving procedures is counterproductive.

About Dilon Diagnostics

Dilon Diagnostics, a brand of Dilon Technologies Inc., is bringing innovative medical imaging products to market. Dilon's cornerstone product, the Dilon 6800, is a digital high-resolution, compact gamma camera optimized to perform BSGI, a molecular breast imaging procedure which images the metabolic activity of breast lesions through radiotracer uptake. Many leading medical centers around the country are now offering BSGI to their patients, including: Cornell University Medical Center, New York; George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, D.C.; and The Rose, Houston. For more information on Dilon Diagnostics please visit www.dilon.com.

SOURCE Dilon Diagnostics