Fujifilm India Pvt Ltd joins hands with Peerless hospital to take strides to battle Breast Cancer

Fujifilm India Pvt Ltd, a leader in the development and application of imaging and information innovations to healthcare technologies and Peerless hospital, a pioneer in the healthcare domain in the Eastern region of India with world class facility today, announced their association for the installation of Fujifilm’s state of the art Amulet Innovality a highly advanced breast cancer diagnostic machine that has made early detection of breast cancer a reality for women. To further support this cause, a symposium will be organized on Clinical relevance of technology in addressing key challenges and solutions in Breast Imaging with Digital Mammography.

According to a 2016 consensus document for breast cancer management by Indian Council of Medical Research, more than 50% breast cancer patients are diagnosed too late. With an annual incidence of approximately 1, 44,000 new cases of breast cancers in India, it has now become the most common female cancer in urban India. Breast cancer in India varies from as low as 5 per 100,000 female populations per year in rural areas to 30 per 100,000 female populations per year in urban areas.

Commenting on the occasion Yasunobu Nishiyama, Managing Director Fujifilm India said “Our association with Peerless Hospital is a significant step in our fight against cancer. Breast cancer accounts for almost 27 % of all cancer cases among women in India. It is worrying how most women do not get early detection examinations with precise diagnosis done and in many cases are diagnosed when their cancer has already reached an advance stage. It is therefore imperative for healthcare providers to step up and provide women the best and more precise early detection screening facilities that can help save lives. Our state of the art AMULET INNOVALITY is one such product that has made early detection of breast cancer a reality for women all over the world and we are happy to bring this to our valued partner - Peerless Hospital.”

Sujit Kar Purkayastha, Managing Director, Peerless Hospital said, “As technology is important in making advancements in medical science it is equally important to understand the right application of the technology at the right time. We are very strict about use of technology which is done only when it is absolutely necessary.  We equally emphasize on the quality of reporting and hence we have with us the physician who is super-specialized in Breast Radiology from UK and has an experience in reporting more than 30,000 mammograms. B. K. Roy Foundation, who has been instrumental in the installation of the mammography machine, has offered free mammography for women who are BPL Card holders (under privileged) as a part of their CSR activity.’

Chander Shekhar Sibal, Executive Vice President & Head of Medical Division at Fujifilm India said “The installation of the AMULET INNOVALITY at Peerless hospital is a milestone achieved in line with our pledge to raise awareness and promote early detection and treatment of breast cancer in India. We are grateful to Peerless Group, for joining hands with us in this endeavor”.

The installation of the Amulet Innovality at Peerless Hospital has given the women of Kolkata access to early detection of Breast Cancer. The Amulet Innovality uses advanced technologies to enable the conversion of breast images into Digital images of the breast. These digital breast images reveal the internal structure of the breast, simplifying the detection of lesions that are difficult to detect in a routine analogue mammography. Amulet Innovality enables radiologists to obtain a clearer view of the breast tissue, facilitating identification of early stage breast cancer and reducing the need for additional tests and biopsies.

Several features of Amulet Innovality offer women a safe and personalized screening experience, making it easier for them to come for breast examinations.  This unique system caters to the unique biological makeup of every woman: The Intelligent Automatic Exposure Control (i-AEC) defines the optimum X ray dosage for each breast type, compared to conventional AEC where the sensor position is fixed. A Direct Conversion flat panel detector with a 50 micron pixel resolution, and other advanced technological features also give this system a distinct edge over others. 50 micron resolution is best resolution and it helps detects cancer at a very early stage.

Mammography is the most powerful breast cancer detection tool. Mammograms don't prevent breast cancer but they can save lives by finding breast cancers as early as possible. According to a report by WHO, Mammograms have been shown to reduce breast cancer mortality by around 20% in women by early detection.

Modern day digital mammography machine and tomosynthesis pick cancers early and involve only tiny radiation even less than a standard chest X ray. In future, digital mammography will become more and more common. Most oncologists agree that breast screening mammography should start at the age of 40 and earlier in patients with high risks like genetic predisposition (BRCA 1 & BRCA 2 antigen positive) and those with strong family history.