Mercy News 2003 Annual Report to the Community click here. 2002 Annual Report to the Community click here. MERCY MEDICAL CENTER INSTALLS NEW IMAGECHECKER COMPUTER-AIDED DETECTION (CAD) SYSTEM FOR EARLY BREAST CANCER DETECTION Studies Show that the Use of the ImageChecker Could Result in Earlier Detection of up to 23.4 Percent of the Cancers Currently Detected with Screening and Diagnostic Mammography This year, approximately 200,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer and studies show that up to 23.4 percent of breast cancer could be detected earlier. Approximately 5% of women referred for mammography screenings in Centerville are diagnosed with breast cancer annually. Recently, Mercy Medical Center acquired the new ImageChecker® Computer Aided Detection (CAD) system for use in breast cancer screening to assist radiologists in minimizing false negative readings during mammograms. "Early diagnosis is the key to surviving breast cancer and mammography screenings with the benefit of the ImageChecker CAD system could prevent thousands of breast cancer deaths each year in the United States alone," said Kevin Bradley, Director of Imaging Services at Mercy Medical Center. "Regular screening mammograms are the best way to detect breast cancer early, which is also when it is easiest to treat. Now that we have the new Computer Aided Detection ImageChecker System, we will be able to confidently identify abnormalities or signs of disease on a regular basis during our mammogram screening analyses and significantly increase our detection rate of invasive cancers." The ImageChecker System from R2 Technology is the first U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approved CAD system for use with screening and diagnostic, as well as digital mammography. Studies show use of the ImageChecker could result in earlier detection of up to 23.4 percent of the cancers currently detected with screening mammography in those women who had a prior screening mammogram nine-24 months earlier. The ImageChecker CAD system is currently used in conjunction with film-based and digital mammography. After acquiring a digital image or digitizing a film mammogram, the system's specialized processing software analyzes the image and draws the radiologist's attention to suspicious features that may be indicative of cancer. The radiologist typically reviews the entire mammogram first and then activates the ImageChecker monitor to see if any areas have been highlighted for additional review. If an image is marked, the radiologist goes back to the original mammogram to review this area of the image in more detail. "Our dedication to winning the fight against breast disease and the benefits of screening mammography is further enhanced by the use of the ImageChecker," said Clint Christianson, Hospital Administrator. "This new CAD system will allow us to provide our patients all the benefits of early detection and improve overall management and treatment." According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), if breast cancer is identified early, or in Stage 0 or I, when it is confined to the duct or local area of the breast, the patient's chances for survival are dramatically higher. The five-year survival rate for breast cancer patients decreases from approximately 95 percent for cancers detected and treated at an early stage, to 36 percent for stage III cancers (where the cancer has spread to surrounding tissue) to just 7 percent for late stage cancers that have spread to distant organs. The American Medical Association (AMA) also recently announced the issuance of a separate CPT code for CAD, which will be an add-on code utilized with the screening mammography code. CPT codes are used by physicians to bill commercial insurers and Medicare for the full range of services they provide. Mercy Medical Center provides Mammography services in their Women's Center located in the Mercy Medical Plaza. Mammograms are performed by registered mammography technicians.