GE Healthcare to Offer a More Comfortable Mammography Experience

• Advanced breast imaging platform, Senographe Pristina; expected to reshape the mammography experience with comfort, confidence and clarity for Patients, Technologists and Radiologists
• Purposefully Designed to help reduce pain, discomfort and anxiety for patients

TORONTO, March 23, 2017 /CNW/ - GE Healthcare is delighted to launch the new Senographe Pristina™, in our commitment to fighting breast cancer by encouraging early detection. With the new Senographe Pristina, our next generation mammography system, we've completely redesigned the mammography experience to make breast screening more comfortable and inviting.

Fear of pain is one of the most common reasons why women do not schedule a mammogram. A recent study conducted by Evans, et.al, found that painful exams explain why 25 to 46 per cent¹ of women failed to return for further breast imaging. The study concluded that effective pain-reducing interventions in mammography are needed to encourage more women to come in for screening. The target participation rate in Canadian organized breast cancer screening programs is 70 per cent of eligible women². Currently all provincial programs fall below this rate^2.

Senographe Pristina features a range of ergonomic features that are intentionally designed to enable patients to be more comfortable. All parts in contact with the patient's breasts, for example, have gentle, rounded corners for greater comfort. The system features comfortable armrests that relax the pectoral muscles to simplify positioning, compression and image acquisition.

Traditional mammography systems compress the breast automatically, which can be a source of considerable discomfort. Senographe Pristina features a self-compression tool that helps give women a sense of control by allowing them to manually adjust the degree of breast compression. Under the direction of a technologist, the patient can set compression to a level that feels right for them.

Taken together, these design features mean that technologists are better able to focus on precise positioning, making exams easier and faster. Poor positioning is the cause of most clinical image deficiencies that often require a rescan³.

"We are committed to fighting breast cancer by encouraging early detection," says Heather Chalmers, Canadian General Manager of GE Healthcare. "Senographe Pristina is humanizing the mammography experience by increasing comfort and reducing patient anxiety. The system's potential to help increase the number of annual screening exams is an important step forward in women's healthcare."

GE Healthcare worked closely with patients, technologists and radiologists from Gustave Roussy Cancer Center to get critical input to ensure the system would address the major pain points for all three groups. Gustave Roussy is one of the largest cancer treatment centers in Europe.

A study by Gustave Roussy analyzing patient response to the new mammography system found that 83 per cent of patients⁴ surveyed were extremely satisfied with the exam.

About GE Healthcare
GE Healthcare provides transformational medical technologies and services to meet the demand for increased access, enhanced quality and more affordable healthcare around the world. GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter – great people and technologies taking on tough challenges. From medical imaging, software & IT, patient monitoring and diagnostics to drug discovery, biopharmaceutical manufacturing technologies and performance improvement solutions, GE Healthcare helps medical professionals deliver great healthcare to their patients.

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^1	Whelehan P, Evans A, Wells M, Macgillivray S. The effect of mammography pain on repeat participation in breast cancer screening: a systematic review. Breast. 2013; 22(4):389–94.
^2	Cancer Screening in Canada: An Overview of Screening Participation for Breast, Cervical and Colorectal Cancer, http://www.partnershipagainstcancer.ca
^3	U.S. Food and Drug Administration http://www.fda.gov/Radiation-EmittingProducts/MammographyQualityStandardsActandProgram/FacilityScorecard/ucm495378.htm
^4	A.M. MOISEI, S. Kinzelin, P. Troufléau, B. Boyer, L. Lemoine, P. Henrot; Vandoeuvre les Nancy/FR (2011). Feasibility study of self-compression in mammography, European Society of Radiology, C-2295, 4

SOURCE GE Healthcare

For further information: Media Contact: Dave Bennett, Xposure PR, [e-mail], 905.339.6668