Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) recently began a five-year testing period of a new procedure for detecting early stages of breast cancer in women under age 45. According to Maj. Alexander Stojadinovic, a surgeon at WRAMC, the study is not intended to compete with mammograms. Rather, electrical impedance scanning (EIS) will assist in diagnosing the early stages of breast cancer, particularly in younger women. Since 20 percent of the active duty force is female (92 percent of them under age 40), EIS could prove to be a valuable tool for the military. "EIS has the potential to identify women at high risk of breast cancer, even if it does not localize a specific lesion," Stojadinovic said.
So far 200 patients are enrolled in the testing program; WRAMC's goal is 4,800. Women ages 18 to 45 who are not pregnant and who are military health-care recipients may ask to be included in the testing group. They must not have breast-fed or had breast surgery within the preceding three months and must not have implanted electrically-powered devices.
For more information call the Walter Reed Comprehensive Breast Center at 202-782-3416.
(From an ArmyLINK news story.)