New mammography method reduces radiation dose five-fold

11/2/2000 5:18 AM EST

Every year, more than 500,000 women in Sweden undergo mammography tests.

Swedish studies into the favorable effects of mammography as part of
routine medical examinations have shown that the mortality rate from
breast cancer can be reduced 25-30% through early detection. Special
efforts are also focused today on new methods to reduce radiation doses.
New mammography method
reduces radiation dose five-fold
Sectra, the Swedish IT and medical technology company, will introduce a
mammography system based on a completely new digital technology. The
system will achieve the same high image quality as today's film-based
systems - with radiation doses that are five times lower. Clinical tests
are planned at hospitals in Sweden, and the new mammography system is
expected to reach the Swedish market in the beginning of year 2002.

"It is extremely important to use minimal radiation doses in mammography
screening, since a large number of healthy women are examined," says
Chief Senior Physician Ingvar Andersson, a medical expert at Sweden's
National Social Welfare Board. "Early detection of breast cancer through
mammography screening can reduce breast cancer mortality, but it is also
important to optimize test methods in terms of image quality and radiation
exposure."

Effectiveness of new technology compared with present methods
Even the most dose-efficient film-based systems require high radiation
exposures to ensure the image quality required to interpret mammographic
images. Mamea Imaging AB, a company owned jointly by Sectra and several
researchers at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, has
developed a new technology that was originally created by a group of
researchers working with particle physics at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland.
Using a new type of sensor, about 95% of X-rays can now be used and
virtually all interference is reduced. As a result, only about one-fifth
of the traditional radiation dose is used to achieve the same high image
quality as with film processing methods.

Additional benefits of digital mammography
Sectra's new system makes it possible to use digital mammography instead
of traditional film processing by replacing film with digital images that
can be studied and processed in computers. Other digital mammography
systems are available on the market today, but they require radiation
doses up to 10 times to achieve equivalent image quality to the Sectra
system. As a result, digital mammography has not been considered practical
in the Swedish market.

Opportunities to use digital mammography also offers other benefits, such
as a reduction in the number of women who are required to take additional
tests to provide physicians with supplementary imaging. With the digital
mammography system, image quality is checked immediately after exposure,
as opposed to traditional film processing, whereby most patients have left
the hospital before the images are available. The new method also helps
reduce unnecessary administrative work routines and inconvenience for the
patients.

Another important advantage of digital mammography systems is the ability
to rapidly transfer images to the best expert available. The new system
will help offset this shortage by providing transmissions of digital
images for examination at facilities where mammography test physicians are
available - which should create opportunities for significant savings in
sparsely populated areas. Health authorities in some Swedish counties
today are unable to offer women adequate mammography testing, in terms of
preferred medical standards, due to a shortage of physicians.

"Women in almost all countries in the western world are afforded
opportunities to participate in some form of mammography programs, with X-
ray examinations as the world's most common test method. As a result, we
see very significant potential in mammography screening," says Torbjörn
Kronander, President of Sectra Imtec.

Sectra will present the new method at RSNA 2000, the world's largest
Radiology trade fair, which will be held in Chicago during the period
November 26-December 1, 2000.

For further information, please contact:
Sectra Imtec AB, Torbjörn Kronander, President,
+46 13 23 52 27,  
or

Sectra AB, Jan-Olof Brüer, President and CEO,
+46 13 23 52 09,  

General questions regarding Mammography:
Ingvar Andersson, M.D., Ph.D and independent Mammography Expert, + 46 40
33 22 31,  

Welcome to visit our website http://www.sectra.com

Sectra's operations
Sectra has its roots in Linköping Technical University and is one of
Sweden's fastest growing high-tech companies in the IT area. Since the
mid-1980s, Sectra has successfully conducted development and sales o
high-technology medical IT and telecommunications products. Today, the
business includes products in medical imaging systems, secure
communication systems and wireless information systems. Sectra's medical
image business is conducted in Sectra Imtec AB, which is a wholly-owned
subsidiary of Sectra AB.

Jointly with a number of researchers at the Royal Institute of Technology,
Sectra owns the company Mamea Imaging AB, that is developing the
fundamental technology for a new-generation mammography system. All sales
of Mamea's products are exclusively through Sectra.


Business is conducted in six countries with a total of 170 employees.
Sales for the fiscal year May 1999-April 2000 reached SEK 192 million.
Since March 1999, Sectra's shares have been quoted on the O list of the OM
Stockholm Exchange.