Several new modalities are poised to change the way breast cancer screenings and diagnostics are performed as physicians and patients continue to search for technologies that can do more than standard X-rays. Ultrasound, computed tomography, and 3-D imaging are being touted as ways to improve the detection of tumors – especially in women with dense breast tissue – as well as to reduce exposure to radiation. Currently, the market is dominated by large, established manufacturers, but some new players are bringing in innovative options that are poised to push the field forward.

The device industry is playing a pivotal role in the evolution toward a more personalized approach to breast cancer management, with ongoing advances in minimally invasive treatment systems, tumor characterization and breast imaging technologies adding to the momentum. In the years ahead, as the breast cancer toolbox expands, the watchword will be “choice,” with physicians and patients offered more treatment options, targeted to their specific needs and desires, than ever before.

As the use of breast conserving lumpectomy expands as a treatment for early-stage breast cancer, interest has surged in alternatives to whole breast irradiation. Follow-on radiation treatment is crucial to the success of this therapy, but a significant number of women are either unable or unwilling to undergo the typical treatment course involving five to seven weeks of daily radiation therapy. The device industry is responding with technologies aimed at delivering post-lumpectomy radiation therapy in a more convenient, potentially safer way.