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CBC: Breast density results must be shared with patients, say advocates

Dec 20, 2017 | Densitas Inc., News

See original CBC article here The Nova Scotia government is touting new hospital software it says can better predict breast cancer risk, but the province is not routinely sharing the results with patients or their family doctors. In October, software designed by Nova Scotia company Densitas was installed in hospitals throughout the province to automatically record breast density during mammograms. The idea is to use the technology instead of relying on a radiologist’s eyes because, like cancer, dense breast tissue appears white in mammograms, making it difficult for radiologists to see. A woman with dense breasts also has more dense tissue than fatty, and that means her chances of getting cancer are higher. But unless a woman specifically asks her doctor to request the breast density recordings from the radiologists, the results are filed away. Cheryl Stewart-Walsh said women deserve to know that information, along with the potential health risks of having dense breasts. The Dartmouth, N.S., woman said she still wonders about her examination four years ago. She had noticed some lumps and was told she had dense breasts, but her mammogram came back clear.

Knowledge is power

“If somebody had said to me back then, ‘You have dense breast tissue and it means that you need to be more vigilant because you have a higher risk of breast cancer,’ I would have been doing more regular exams,” she said. This spring, the 39-year-old noticed a lump in the same spot doctors had first examined. Within weeks, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and has since undergone a lumpectomy, 18 weeks of chemotherapy and 21 rounds of radiation. She just completed cancer treatment last month. Paula Gordon, a Vancouver-based radiologist with the national advocacy group Dense Breasts Canada, said women deserve to know their breast-density information so they can be more vigilant with self-exams.

Cancer risks

“Knowing your breast density is like knowing that you have high blood pressure or that you have high cholesterol,” Gordon said. “Can you imagine a family doctor taking somebody’s blood pressure and finding it high, and not sharing that information with the patient?” Approximately 43 per cent of women aged 40 to 74 have dense breast tissue, according to Gordon’s group, which means more than 100,000 women in Nova Scotia could be affected. Some women with dense breasts have four to six times the risk of getting breast cancer compared with women who don’t have dense breasts, according to the Canadian Cancer Society.
Dr Paula Gordon

Dr. Paula Gordon says women across Canada are being left in the dark.

The province says it eventually wants to provide its new software-generated breast-density information automatically to doctors and patients. However, there is currently no “mechanism” or timeline to do so, according to Dr. Sian Iles, a radiologist and medical adviser for the Nova Scotia breast screening program, which is run by Nova Scotia’s Department of Health. “We have got plans but we haven’t been able to implement that yet,” Iles said. “It’s a very complex health-care system. We’re not in charge of all the variables.” Years have been spent standardizing the reporting of breast density, Iles said, and every mammogram in Nova Scotia now leads to an automated breast density report. Each province has different rules around testing and reporting breast density. Quebec requires that a woman’s breast density information be reported, but only to her doctor. Other provinces, like Ontario and P.E.I., usually require that the information be passed on to a woman’s doctor, and that the patient be informed if her density is over 75 per cent, which is considered extreme.
Densitas

New software automatically records breast density on a woman’s mammogram. (Patrick Callaghan/CBC)

Until recently, Nova Scotia was the only province that did not require radiologists to record breast density, according to Dense Breasts Canada. Gordon, the medical adviser with Dense Breasts Canada, said 50 per cent of breast cancers in women with dense breasts are missed on mammograms. “We see these patients in the clinic,” said Gordon. “They come with a lump in their breast that they have found, sometimes within weeks or months of a negative screening mammogram. “The lump in their breast … turns out to be not just a cancer, but sometimes a sizable cancer.”  ]]>

Densitas’ Machine Learning Software for Breast Health Available On EnvoyAI Platform

Nov 30, 2017 | Densitas Inc., News

See original article here DM-Density personalized breast density reporting software will be offered via vendor neutral artificial intelligence distribution platform Chicago, IL – November 26, 2017 – Advanced breast imaging analytics provider, Densitas, today announced that it now offers its automated breast density software through EnvoyAI’s scalable distribution platform to facilitate streamlined deployment of its flagship product within hospital networks and clinics. The software, DM-Density, helps radiologists provide tailored, patient-specific follow-up care. “We’re pleased to offer hospitals and physicians the opportunity to use Densitas’ breast density software either on-premise or in the cloud. We’re committed to providing our customer base with secure access to innovative AI products globally,” said Misha Herscu, CEO, EnvoyAI. “Densitas’ breast density software is a welcome addition to the many clinically useful applications available on the EnvoyAI Exchange.” “We’re pleased to partner with EnvoyAI to streamline deployment of our automated breast density software to empower health systems to standardize high quality care for women and improve workflow,” said Mohamed Abdolell, CEO, Densitas. “The EnvoyAI platform provides a unique opportunity to rapidly expand our footprint so these important outcomes can be achieved.” DM-Density is a machine learning application that provides on demand automated breast density assessments at point-of-care. The software analyzes standard digital mammograms and integrates seamlessly with PACS systems. The reports provide radiologists with insights to make better follow-up care decisions consistently and confidently. About Densitas Densitas develops machine learning technologies that deliver actionable information for personalized breast health. The technologies address the key challenges facing breast screening, including mammography quality, workflow, compliance and costs, with the aim of improving patient health efficiently and effectively. Densitas has received regulatory clearance to sell its automated breast density assessment software in Canada and the European Union. Learn more. About EnvoyAI  EnvoyAI provides a developer platform, integrations, and an API interface for algorithm developers, technology partners, and end users. EnvoyAI facilitates the streamlined distribution and hospital implementation of trained machine learning algorithms via a vendor neutral distribution platform. The platform allows users anywhere to access cloud-based algorithms without requiring access to the algorithm code or training data to protect PHI and developer ­­­intellectual property. EnvoyAI assists research institutions and emerging AI companies in the translation and commercialization processes, starting with rapid deployment via a scalable, secure, cloud-based infrastructure with the ability to add local components to facilitate on-site deployments as well. EnvoyAI also works with distribution partners to make algorithms on the platform available to a very wide footprint of hospitals and, ultimately, to physicians. www.envoyai.com   Media Contact:Alex MorrisDirector, Programs and Regulatory Affairs Densitas [email protected] 647-470-4363]]>

Densitas: Developing Meaningful Data-Driven Healthcare Products for the Mammography Enterprise

Mar 2, 2017 | Densitas Inc.

 Nova Scotia’s Unique Comprehensive Approach Nova Scotia provides a rare opportunity to develop innovative technologies such as the technology Densitas has developed for the mammography enterprise. The Nova Scotia Breast Screening Program (NSBSP) has repeatedly innovated, with a focus on improving quality and service delivery. A pillar of its success has been a unique home grown breast information system that allows the program to evaluate clinical outcomes and develop evidence based strategies for breast health care. The health of Nova Scotians is better for it. The availability of this kind of data is unusual. It provides the opportunity for Densitas to establish collaborative research agreements with researchers to rapidly prototype and validate new technologies with the women of Nova Scotia directly benefiting from these innovations. “We are very fortunate to be able to collaborate with the Nova Scotia Breast Screening Program, the IWK and the Nova Scotia Health Authority,” says Abdolell. “The innovation agenda and the collaborative environment in Nova Scotia allows Densitas to develop and test technologies rapidly, accelerating our pathway to commercialization.” The ability to link mammograms with clinical outcomes provides a unique opportunity for the application of big data analytics to tackle the big challenges in breast screening that relate to breast density, mammography quality and clinical workflow. This means that Densitas can develop unique technologies and validate them before going to market. “In an environment that is moving from volume based to value based healthcare, it is important that new technologies can demonstrate improved health outcomes. This kind of health Developing Meaningful Data-Driven Healthcare Products Mohamed Abdolell, founder and CEO of Densitas technology assessment can only be done if the right data has been collected,” says Abdolell. “Historically, products have often been introduced into the market without such health technology assessment reviews. We are in an enviable position in Nova Scotia whereby we can validate our technologies first, which makes for improved health care outcomes as well as a more rapid path to market.” The Support of an Innovative Ecosystem Abdolell finds the company has also significantly benefited from the supportive funding ecosystem in Nova Scotia. He credits organizations such as the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), the National Research Council (NRC) Industrial Research Assistance Program, Innovacorp, BioNova, NSBI, Learnsphere, the Canadian Trade Commission, and others, not only for their assistance and counsel, but for providing a supportive infrastructure that attracts interest from investors and big players in the healthcare industry internationally. “We have attracted international interest in what we are doing, and that is partly due to the unique data holdings in Nova Scotia and partly as a function of this ecosystem here,” explains Abdolell. “You can’t underestimate the value of that. There aren’t many places that have this type of supportive infrastructure.” The company has also received international recognition from programs in Silicon Valley, Chicago, and Toronto. In early 2016 the company was selected to participate in Dose of the Valley, an exclusive workshop for some of Canada’s most promising life sciences companies to engage with key US stakeholders. Densitas was also selected for a residency at Johnson & Johnson Innovation’s JLABS@Toronto, located at the MaRS Discovery District, which will allow them to participate in the medical technology innovation and commercialization network in Toronto. In February (2017) the company will head to Chicago to participate in the Canada-Chicago Mentoring Program (C2MP), which catalyzes technology commercialization opportunities in the Chicago area by matching experienced and supportive mentoring teams with early stage innovators who can help strategize entry into the US market. “We just submitted our FDA 510K application, and we are looking forward to entering the US market, so our participation in C2MP is coming at a great time, and we are quite excited about that,” said Abdolell. Abdolell and his team at Densitas are gearing up for a big year in 2017 with plans to enter the European and Canadian markets, and moving forward with US markets once it receives FDA clearance for its flagship product, DM-Density. Looking ahead, the team will continue to develop new technologies in their product pipeline.]]>