Self-compression, an innovation in Nancy to avoid pain during mammography

It’s free, it saves lives, but it’s scary. Mammography examination, which allows to detect possible breast cancer at an early stage, is often an annoying and stressful moment, because it can sometimes be painful for some patients. In practice, the breast is compressed and compressed between two mammographic plates, and only sufficient pressure makes it possible to obtain good quality X-rays for effective analysis. Not very nice.

And in Nancy, the Cancer Institute of Lorraine found a solution: “The idea came from a manipulator, who one day wondered whether it would be possible for the patient to decide the strength of pressure himself,” says Dr. Philippe Henrot, head of the cancer department. Department of Medical Imaging. The proposal had already received positive feedback a few years ago in the United States, so ICL has been developing this technology since 2009.

The first results exceed expectations

No change regarding mammography equipment. The main difference lies in the approach of the manipulators, who will only guide the patient’s position, allowing her to control the intensity of the pressure. The first results of this new approach tested in 2010 in 5 centers in France (including ICL) exceeded expectations: the quality of X-rays has not changed in any way, on the contrary, because women often stress more than healthcare. . Professional would have done.

So a new study was launched, this time across the major institution. From June until the end of the year, it brought together 25 radiology practices and more than 3,300 volunteer patients to obtain results on a broader scale, allowing the technology to be rolled out throughout the hexagon should new conclusive results emerge.