A New Zealand breast clinic will soon start using an innovative new software, which helps to measure breast density resulting in the more accurate identification of tumours.
The software has been developed by Wellington technology company, Matakina, and is already being used in the USA, South Korea and Malaysia.
The software, called Volpara, can be used with any x-ray machine and helps to identify dense breast tissue, which can appear very similar to tumour tissue on regular mammogram prints.
Matakina says only half of all tumours will be identified in women with dense breasts using a mammogram, compared with 98 per cent accurate detection for women with fattier breasts.
It says when radiologists using Volpara know how dense their patients' breast tissue is, they can advise which women would require an MRI as opposed to just a mammogram.
BCAC chair, Libby Burgess, applauds the development and use of the new software.
“We know that women with dense breasts are more likely to develop cancer so we welcome this new technology which helps to detect cancer in these women with greater accuracy.
“It’s fantastic to see such innovation happening right here in New Zealand to improve breast cancer detection and we’re thrilled that a local breast clinic has chosen to adopt the new technology.”
The Auckland Breast Centre has just purchased the software and will now use it for all its screenings.
Matakina says it is excited about the future, not only for Volpara but for the other technologies the company is developing. “Volpara is already clinically proven in the U.S. and now it’s great to see Kiwi technology being used to potentially save lives at home.
“With one product in global use, we can now use that base technology to build far more advanced products and that is very exciting indeed.”
