EU takes low-dose mammography initiative - invests in research project to decrease mortality in breast cancer through high-resolution imaging

EU takes low-dose mammography initiative - invests in research project to
decrease mortality in breast cancer through high-resolution imaging

The Swedish IT and medical-technology company Sectra, together with clinical and
industrial partners, has been awarded EUR 3.6 million to combat breast cancer
through a research project for high-resolution, low-dose X-ray imaging. Sectra
will lead the project, which involves six European countries.

The project comprises development of novel imaging methods based on Sectra´s
photon-counting detector technology, which provides the unmatched lowest
radiation dose on the market. The objective is to improve early detection and
diagnosis of breast cancer and clinical evaluation of the new methods.

The project was selected in intense competition based on the advice from some of
the most distinguished researchers in Europe in this area. In the European Union
(EU), breast cancer of all cancers is the most common cause of death for women
below seventy years of age and this is one of the largest grants of this type
ever awarded by the EU in its efforts to combat breast cancer.

The project is designated “High-Resolution X-ray Imaging for Improved Detection
and Diagnosis of Breast Cancer” (HighReX) and will be part of the Sixth EU
Framework Program for Research and Technological Development (FP6). Experienced
mammography physicians from several European breast-imaging centers are involved
in the project to test and evaluate the imaging techniques developed in the
project and compare them to existing methods.

Low-dose initiative
In mammography screening operations, low radiation dose is an important factor
since healthy women are examined on a relatively frequent number of occasions on
a recurring basis. The EU strongly supports the ALARA principle. ALARA is an
acronym for As Low As Reasonably Achievable. This is a radiation safety
principle for minimizing radiation doses and releases of radioactive materials
by employing all reasonable methods. ALARA is not only a sound safety principle
but is a regulatory requirement for all radiation safety programs.

Sectra's photon-counting detector technology 
- a platform for improved detection of breast cancer
Sectra's photon-counting detector technology is commercially available through
Sectra MicroDose Mammography, a digital mammography system that produce
excellent images with the decidedly lowest radiation dose of all systems on the
market. Within the HighReX project, Sectra will develop and evaluate novel
methods for breast cancer detection and diagnosis, such as 3D/tomosynthesis,
dual-energy and contrast mammography. Providing low-dose images with
significantly increased contrast and spatial resolution, Sectra's detector
technology is a perfect start for developing these methods.

“Sectra is the only European company that has developed a commercially available
detector technology for digital mammography. The new project will utilize our
photon-counting technology as a platform for tomorrow's methods of detecting
breast cancer,” says Mats Danielsson at the Sectra Mammography Division in
Stockholm.


For more information about the HighRex project, please visit www.highrex.eu


Dr. Torbjörn Kronander, President, Sectra Imtec AB, +46 705 23 52 27 
Dr. Jan-Olof Brüer, CEO and President, Sectra AB, +46 13 23 52 09


About Sectra's medical operations
Sectra is one of the world's major diagnostic imaging system (PACS) providers.
More than 900 hospitals worldwide use the system daily and more than 40 million
radiology examinations are diagnosed in Sectra's system annually. In
Scandinavia, Sectra is the market leader with more than 50% of all film-free
installations. Outside Scandinavia, Sectra's system is installed at customers in
North America and most major countries in Europe and the Far East.

About the Sectra Group
Sectra successfully develops and sells cutting-edge products in the expansive
niche segments of medical systems and secure communication systems.  The company
was founded in 1978 and has its roots in the Linköping Institute of Technology
in Sweden.  Today, Sectra has offices in eleven countries and operates through
partners worldwide.  . Sales in the 2006/2007 fiscal year totaled SEK 673
million. The Sectra share is quoted on the Nordic Exchange in Stockholm. For
more information about Sectra visit http://www.sectra.com.