BREAST ULTRASOUND COMPUTER-AIDED LESION ASSESSMENT BASED ON BI-RADS

 

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    INTRODUCTION

     

     

    OVERVIEW FOR

    PROFESSIONALS

     

     

    OVERVIEW FOR

    INDIVIDUALS

     

     

    WHAT IS

    NON-DIAGNOSTIC

    BREAST SCORE

     

     

    HOW IT WORKS

     

     

    HOW IT WAS

    VALIDATED

     

     

    ENDORSERS & COLLABORATORS

     

     

    WHAT TO EXPECT

    AS RESULT

     

     

    PRICING

     

     

    SERVICE

    STEP-BY-STEP

     

     

    CONTACT US

     

    OVERVIEW FOR INDIVIDUALS

     

     

    Ultrasound (US) is widely regarded as the adjunct procedure of choice to mammography, especially for distinguishing cystic from solid masses where accuracy is 96-100%. Even with combined information from mammography and ultrasound, each radiologist may apply a different decision threshold to recommend biopsy of a suspicious mass.
     

    The American College of Radiology (ACR) developed the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) program to guide interpretation and reporting of breast ultrasound exams. The ACR also manages a program to accredit the clinical practice of breast ultrasound. Similarly, in 1998 the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine launched a program to accredit the breast ultrasound practices of radiologists and sonographers. These steps by professional organizations are designed to improve the quality and uniformity of care.
     

    Acceptance and utilization of BI-RADS for ultrasound is increasing but the research literature, including our own reports, shows it is difficult to uniformly apply the method and there is considerable variability of lesion description and assessment between radiologists. Many authors report that some radiologists remain uncomfortable with the number of benign and malignant masses that overlap in appearance.
     

    Almen Laboratories has developed a computer-aided tool for breast ultrasound image analysis that operates with the physician in the loop. The system compares a breast mass in question to a database of patient lesion images with verified known findings, displays those most similar to it and then computes CAD assessment of the lesion in question following the American College of Radiologists and FDA approved BI-RADS Lexicon, Classification and method. The computed assessment is based on confirmed findings of the retrieved similar cases. Our approach has considerable appeal and may be more readily acceptable to radiologists because it does clearly show which factors have led to the recommendation or classification. This allows the radiologist the option to consider the findings with higher confidence and to apply her/his own threshold for a decision.

    Breast Companion® (“BC”, “BC CADx”) is identical to BI-RADS Companion™ (K072258) with an added optional scoring function (Computer-aided Lesion Assessment, or “CLA”, or “BC CLA”). It is an adjunctive tool to be used in support of radiologists’ readings and is intended to be used in the diagnostic breast work-up process. This is an important distinction from computer-aided detection devices for screening. CLA is intended to be used by radiologist as decision stratification tool.

    The two packages are related as indicated in Figure below.
     

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    Our approach applies a database of verified known findings (Reference Library) to which an unknown may be compared and evaluated. Storage and retrieval of these images is accomplished through identification of key information content of the breast masses themselves (case-based reasoning). We suggest that lesions of lower suspicion level such as cysts may be ruled out as candidates for biopsy with higher degree of confidence when image interpretation is made with support of this computer-aided imaging tool.

    The use of the available Breast CAD is strictly subject to Disclaimer that specifically instruct on limitations and research oriented intentions of use. In order to start using the Breast Ultrasound CAD the user needs to acknowledge agreement with all provisions and clause of the Disclaimer and then proceed to informational and service pages of this web site.

    In the future, development of the system may advance this FDA approved CADx software into other application areas such as detection of suspicious masses, for more accurate disease diagnosis following interpretive guidelines and a validated clinical database, even to other imaging problems.

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