June 11, 2012 — Matakina International Ltd. of Wellington, New Zealand, and Mammography Reporting System Inc. (MRS) of Seattle, announced that the companies have signed an agreement that allows MRS to provide users of the MRS7 reporting system with the ability to utilize the Volpara breast density software scores in an updated user interface. This agreement also grants MRS the rights to distribute Volpara software.
The Volpara breast density software is a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-cleared product that offers radiologists a reliable and cost-effective tool to automatically generate objective volumetric breast tissue density values from digital screening mammograms under the Volpara density grade (VDG), a refined grading system which correlates with the American College of Radiology BI-RADS density grading classifications. Integrations of Volpara with other digital mammography and CAD (computer-aided detection) systems are also underway.
“The objective measurement of breast density clearly offers important clinical information to improve the early detection of breast cancer, but the technology cannot be used effectively unless it is easily integrated into routine diagnostic workflow,” said Ralph Highnam, CEO, Matakina International. “MRS is a proven leader in providing access to critical breast health information. The ability to display Volpara results on the MRS mammography workstation is another important milestone in widespread access to objective breast density values.”
Breast tissue density has been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer. Several large studies have confirmed that as tissue density increases, the accuracy of lesion detection through mammography decreases. Thirty-five percent of breast cancer goes undetected by mammography in women with dense breasts, as density masks the appearance of tumors (Boyd et al 2007, NEJM). Since both dense breast tissue and cancer appear white on a mammogram, finding cancers can be analogous to looking for a snowball in a snowstorm.
“We are pleased to establish a partnership with Matakina to make Volpara breast density software available to thousands of facilities that use MRS reporting and tracking systems,” said Mark Morris, CEO, MRS. “Adding Volpara scores directly into the MRS7 reporting system supports our mission of providing timely, relevant information that incorporates directly into the radiologist reporting workflow. Our customers have found that, providing radiologists with concurrent access to clinically relevant diagnostic information helps improve the overall quality of patient care while achieving time and cost savings for the radiologist.”
The MRS7 reporting system is the newest standard for breast imaging tracking and reporting solutions. MRS7 reporting helps promote efficiency and effectiveness in the radiologist’s workflow by providing a simple, easy-to-use interface that combines functionality with security. MRS supports optimal patient care by providing features such as automated patient lay letters, high-risk modeling and problem-case tracking.
For more information: www.mrsys.com, www.matakina.com
July 29, 2024 
