2009-02-24 13:34:05 -
Healthcare and breast radiology professionals from around the world recently attended the annual meeting of the Aurora® Breast MRI Society in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
"The three-day meeting provided the opportunity for dedicated breast radiologists to learn about the latest advances in breast MRI technology," said Kamilia F. Kozlowski, M.D., president, Aurora Breast MRI Society, and medical director/CEO and clinical breast radiologist at the Knoxville Comprehensive Breast Center in Knoxville, Tenn. "It also provided us the opportunity to share our clinical experience, data, and enhance our professional development. In doing so, we can collectively improve the management and treatment of breast disease around the world."
In addition to renowned breast radiologists, the group heard from distinguished
medical colleagues. Aaron Ciechanover, M.D., DSc, of Haifa, Israel, spoke about how his Nobel-prize winning discoveries at the cellular level coupled with genetic research is paving the way toward improved, more personalized treatments for diseases such as breast cancer that could ultimately lead to prevention.
Louis Chow, M.D., executive director of the Organization for Oncology and Translational Research and medical director of the Comprehensive Centre for Breast Diseases at the UNIMED Medical Institute in Hong Kong, addressed the role MRI plays in evaluating therapies given to breast cancer patients prior to surgery, radiation and other treatments.
F. Lee Tucker, M.D., of Wirtz, Va., a consulting pathologist, spoke about the need for pathology to keep pace with advances in diagnostic imaging and for close cooperation among all medical members of the patient care team.
Arthur Lerner, M.D., surgical director at the Dickstein Cancer Treatment Center in White Plains, N.Y., talked about recent advances in nonsurgical techniques for treating early invasive breast cancers. He said breast MRI would play an important role in evaluating disease as researchers develop techniques to destroy small breast cancers with heat or extremely low temperatures without removing them from the breast.
World-renowned breast radiologists also shared interesting cases and the latest research involving breast MRI. Speakers included Steven Harms, M.D., clinical radiologist with the Breast Cancer Center of Northwest Arkansas in Fayetteville and medical director of Aurora Imaging Technology, Inc; Elsie Levin, M.D., medical director of the Faulkner-Sagoff Breast Imaging & Diagnostic Centre in Boston; Stephen Feig, M.D., director of breast imaging at University of California, Irvine Medical Center, and Aurora Breast MRI of Orange County; and Rebecca Stough, MD, clinical director of Breast MRI of Oklahoma in Oklahoma City.
Participants came not only from Israel and China, but also from Italy, Puerto Rico and across the United States.
The Aurora Breast MRI Society was established in 2006 to advance the use of cutting-edge dedicated breast MRI technology as an effective means to reduce the mortality and morbidity of breast cancer, which kills 400,000 women and men worldwide each year.
About the Aurora® Breast MRI Society
Breast radiologists worldwide who are committed to providing patients with state-of-the-art breast imaging have established the Aurora® Breast MRI Society. Society members have selected the Aurora® Dedicated Breast MRI System to offer patients its superior breast imaging and interventional capabilities. To support its mission to advance the use of cutting-edge dedicated breast MRI technology as an effective means to reduce the mortality and morbidity of breast cancer, the Aurora Breast MRI Society's goal is to educate the medical profession, lay public and health care industry about the vital role of breast MRI in the earlier detection of breast cancer and more effective evaluation of breast disease.
For more information about the Aurora Breast MRI Society, or to inquire about becoming a Society member, visit www.aurorabmrisociety.org.
Aurora Imaging Technology, Inc.
Debbie Thomas, 978-975-7530
dthomas@auroramri.com 
