Page 3 - ABUS-Casestudy

Dr. Athina Vourtsis, MD, PhD At a glance

Practice setting – Private breast imaging and women’s health center
Chief Scientific Advisor
and Founder Department staffing – 7 radiologists, 8 technicians, 5 staff
Athena Medical Modalities – FFDM, DBT, ABUS, HHUS, MRI, AI density assessment, ABUS CAD,
Athens, Greece CAD for mammography
Patient volume – 10,000/year; 70% screening; 30% diagnostic
Coverage / reimbursement – Out of pocket / private insurance
Country guideline – ACR/ACS, Hellenic Breast Imaging Society
Risk stratification – Tyrer-Cuzick model

The site

Athena Medical in Athens, Greece is a private breast imaging center dedicated to the prevention and “ Seeing 10,000 patients a year,
early detection of breast diseases. Offering the most advanced imaging technology for risk-stratified we are detecting cancers seen
screening, combined with personalized attention from experienced radiologists, Dr. A. Vourtsis and only with ABUS that are not
staff at Athena Medical aim to complete all diagnostic assessments and tests in a single visit. The visualized on mammography
multidisciplinary practice provides comprehensive women’s health services, including one stop and sometimes neither on DBT.
breast clinic, gynecological, dermatology, cardiology, cardio-oncology and genetic counseling.
Most commonly these cancers
Care pathway for patients with dense breasts are presented as masses, without
presence of microcalcifications
In Greece, the limitations of mammography in women with dense breasts has been well
acknowledged. Supplemental screening is suggested in women with heterogenously or or architectural distortion on
extremely dense breasts that is performed either by breast radiologists or general radiologists. DBT images.”

Athena Medical performs 2D mammography, tomosynthesis (DBT), automated breast ultrasound “ Due to the global visualization
(ABUS) hand-held ultrasound (HHUS) and breast MRI. All ABUS, 2D mammography and DBT of the breast, ABUS is also an
examinations are double read. Biopsy of all BI-RADS 4 and 5 lesions is followed. Quantitative
®
density measurement and AI for 2D mammography and ABUS has been adopted. emerging modality for diagnostics
and surgical planning. The
coronal plane offers special
Screening decision tree value for surgical planning,
FFDM for
fatty breasts due to better imaging of the
segmental approach and the
similar orientation as the patient
Risk assessment AI breast density is positioned for surgery.”
using Tyrer-Cuzick assessment as part
model of first screening DBT for
mammogram dense breasts Diagnostic decision tree

Athena Medical applies diagnostic ABUS
in all women with dense breasts and
women with clinical symptoms and in
women under the age of 35 that come
in for a breast ultrasound. Breast MRI is
ABUS recommended for followed in women with BI-RADS 4 and
BI-RADS C & D density 5 findings and in all newly diagnosed
breast cancer for the evaluation of extent
of disease.
Breast MRI screening is provided to high risk women
in addition to mammography, regardless of breast Improving the patient
density. MRI is also recommended for extremely dense and operator exam
breast (BI-RADS D).* experience with

* Interval follow up recommended depending on risk and breast size: Invenia ABUS
DBT + ABUS every year, MRI every 2 years