A major worldwide healthcare technology developer has chosen to test out some cutting-edge breast cancer detection technology on patients receiving care at an Ontario hospital.
It was announced Friday morning that GE Healthcare will test various molecular breast imaging probe prototypes at Henderson General Hospital in Hamilton, about 70 kilometres outside of Toronto.
The technology the company will be testing seeks to detect small tumours in women's breasts that are not found as easily through conventional mammography. The goal is to locate such tumours in their very earliest stages, so that treatment can be administered to patients as early as possible.
Early detection is a major factor in surviving breast cancer, with Mayo Clinic research suggesting that as many as 98 per cent of women will live for at least five years after being diagnosed for early-stage, localized breast cancers.
In Ontario alone, 8,500 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year.
Dr. Tom Hudson, president and scientific director of the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, said the technology that will be tested in Hamilton holds much promise for cancer patients.
"This technology promises to have a significant impact on care for high-risk patients whose tiny tumours cannot be seen by mammography," Hudson said in a released statement.
"We hope this will lead to earlier detection, better treatment and ultimately save lives."
The company said it chose to test its technologies in Hamilton because of the research facilities and programs available in the area -- including the oncology and nuclear medicine programs in place at McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences.
Health Canada and the hospital's research ethics board will review all of the clinical studies taking place in Hamilton.
The provincial Ministry of Research and Innovation will kick in $450,000 towards the project through its investment in the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research.
According to the official GE Healthcare website, the $17 billion company employs more than 46,000 people in more than 100 countries around the globe. It is a unit of General Electric Company.
