Peerless Hospital and B K Roy Research Centre, one of the oldest and reputed healthcare institutions of eastern India, organised the second Peerless Breast Imaging Update in association with Breast Imaging Society, India, (BISI) on 24th June to address the technical nuances of breast imaging, including didactic talks, panel discussions and workshops on breast intervention.

Among the distinguished guests and eminent speakers present were some of the most renowned doctors and professors in the country, known for their diagnostic and interventional skills in Breast Radiology. The theme of this year’s conference was BI-RADS (Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System) and the aim was to clear concepts and answer questions on BI-RADS in Breast Imaging.

A one-of-its-kind hands-on workshop on mammography positioning was also introduced at the conference. Young professionals were taught the importance of good positioning that forms the backbone of good mammography. The training was imparted along with images, video footages and live examples on the state-of-the-art Digital Mammography machine available at Peerless Hospital, Kolkata.

As many as 70,218 Indian women died of breast cancer in 2012 in the country and deaths from the disease are predicted to increase significantly by 2020. Several reasons such as lack of awareness about self-assessment, absence of a population-based screening programme, cultural barriers, reluctance to share problems with male doctors and ignorance contribute to this alarming rate.

According to data from Indian Council of Medical Research, more than 50 per cent of breast cancers are detected late in the country. One of the prominent factors for this is the shortage of skilled medical personnel, including radiologists. Both developed and developing countries are struggling to supply adequate numbers of trained, qualified health care professionals, radiologists and imaging professionals. This lack of qualified specialists is one of the major challenges for the Indian healthcare industry. About 48 per cent of breast cancer patients are young, that is less than 50 years old at the time of diagnosis.

One of the seminal points of the conference was early detection of breast cancers. It aimed specifically to enhance the skills of the radiologists and improve the quality of this service for the women of east and north eastern states and the entire country. The quality of imaging becomes a determining factor in diagnosing the disease early. Peerless Hospital in association with Breast Imaging Society, India, focused on providing hands on training on how to position women during a mammogram, which is the most important prerequisite to acquire good quality mammograms.

Technicians were trained in a workshop by application specialists in mammography on the state-of-the-art digital mammography machine at Peerless Hospital. Participants also gathered knowledge about other technical aspects of acquiring good mammography images.

Dr Suma Chakrabarthi, Sr. Breast Radiologist, Peerless Hospital and Organizing Secretary, 2nd Peerless Breast Imaging Update, further added, “Early detection of breast cancer can not only save lives but also in many cases, the patient’s breast can also be saved by removing only the tumour. This is called breast conservation surgery. Regular screening with the right techniques applied can be effective. '

' Peerless Hospital is at the forefront to deliver Breast Imaging services to women of Eastern India. Through this conference, we tried to take an initiative to provide technical training to radiologists as well as technicians, with eminent faculty and experts from across the country. We are proud to organise this in association with the prestigious Breast Imaging Society, India (BISI). Well known for its educational activities, BISI has established itself as a Society that champions the cause of imparting training in Breast Imaging to trainees as well as consultant radiologists. '

Peerless Hospital has always strived to provide the best healthcare facilities for the people of the region and improve the service quality of the healthcare industry. With its Digital Mammography machine, stereotactic biopsy unit, Breast ultrasound, elastography and interventional facilities, it has been promoting the quality of Breast Imaging in this part of the country.

The conference saw around 60 technicians from government and private hospitals as well as diagnostic centres of West Bengal attending the workshop. More than 100 doctors, including international delegates from Bangladesh also attended the conference.

The daylong conference also witnessed a panel discussion on breast cancer survival and post-surgery trauma where survivors came together and shared the story of their journey from hardship to success. There were several other sessions on BI-RADS Mammography, USG, MRI & structured reporting along with interactive case-based teaching and a keynote address on the current challenges in medical ethics.