Will GE Healthcare’s ‘Omnipaque’ Contribute to Early Breast Cancer Detection in Korea?
“CEM Offers MRI-Level Accuracy with Reduced Cost and Time”
Contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM) is gaining attention as a crucial method in the fight against breast cancer, the most common cancer among Korean women.
At a press conference hosted by GE Healthcare on the 17th, Professor Shin Hee-jung from the Department of Radiology at Asan Medical Center in Seoul highlighted the value and role of CEM as a new method for early breast cancer detection. CEM is an imaging technique that uses contrast agents to visualize blood flow in the breast.
According to data from the National Health Insurance Service, the number of breast cancer patients in Korea rose from about 206,000 in 2017 to approximately 269,300 in 2021, an average annual increase of 6.9% over five years. The National Cancer Information Center emphasizes that early detection is critical for breast cancer, as the five-year survival rate for stage 1–2 diagnoses reaches 95%, significantly improving the prognosis.
Currently, the most commonly used method for breast cancer screening is standard mammography (X-ray imaging). However, mammography has lower accuracy for detecting cancer in dense breasts, which contain relatively little fatty tissue and a high proportion of fibrous tissue. With around 80% of Korean women reported to have dense breasts, there is a need for additional screening to ensure accurate early detection.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is considered the most accurate imaging method for breast cancer screening. However, the high cost and limited accessibility of MRI present challenges.
Professor Shin explained, “CEM showed significantly higher sensitivity (the probability of correctly identifying positive cases) and specificity (the probability of correctly identifying negative cases) compared to standard mammography, and it was found to be on par with MRI in terms of accuracy.”
According to Professor Shin, CEM has a sensitivity of 93–100% and specificity of 63–88%. Given that the sensitivity of breast MRI is estimated at 97–100% by the Korean Society of Breast Imaging, CEM holds potential as a new screening method for Korean women with dense breasts.
“Widespread adoption of CEM could reduce the financial burden of MRI and shorten examination times. It can also be used for additional screening during routine health checkups or for patients who are unable to undergo MRI due to claustrophobia,” added Professor Shin. “This will be particularly helpful for Korean women who need accurate diagnoses.”
A representative from GE Healthcare noted, “While CEM has a relatively low incidence of side effects, there may still be risks such as hypersensitivity reactions to the contrast agent. Through our Omnipaque product, which leads the global contrast agent market, we aim to offer patients a wider range of options.”