The State of Mammography

THE STATE OF MAMMOGRAPHY ANNUAL REPORT 2022

RESEARCH | INNOVATION | PERSPECTIVE

Elevating the of Early Detection Art & Science

The field of mammography is rapidly advancing. With the advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and dramatic advances in technology and software, the early detection of breast cancer is happening even earlier. For Solis Mammography, bridging technologies and ideas to combine them at scale for the betterment of patients is the ongoing science behind the lifesaving benefits of breast imaging.

Yet, early-stage breast cancer detection requires more than seasoned expertise and the latest technology. It requires a human-centered approach that changes lives, impacting patients, families and communities. For more than three decades, Solis Mammography has advanced the art of early detection through a patient-centered approach to breast health – an approach built on an early understanding of patient needs and the high-touch delivery of a better mammogram.

Combining the science of technology and the art of patient-centered breast care in the ongoing mission of extending lives is a daily practice.

Take a look inside.

The Solis Mammography Science Behind

As the most technologically advanced imaging system available, the AI model of mammography is poised to make even greater strides in women’s health. Among the innovations currently taking shape within our collaborative clinical framework:

Short-Term Breast Cancer Risk Assessment

Every patient has an individual risk of developing breast cancer over their lifetime. Previously, this lifetime risk profile was calculated through an extensive questionnaire that focused on family history and personal risk factors. Our personalized risk assessment instead measures an individual’s one-year risk of developing breast cancer through an AI analysis of the patient’s mammogram, age and breast density. Indexed to a database of tens of thousands of women studied over seven years, the personalized risk score has been shown in trials to be significantly more accurate than previous models. Performed in conjunction with a patient's annual mammogram, this new resource provides unique insight through an annual, short-term risk assessment. Pilot programs are underway with a national roll-out in 2023.

Cardiovascular Disease Risk Assessment

Over the years, breast arterial calcifications (BACs) have been frequently observed on screening mammography images and were traditionally overlooked as incidental benign findings. However, new research increasingly suggests that the amount of calcium found in the arteries of the breast may in fact correlate to an increased risk for cardiovascular disease. Recently, Solis Mammography signed a development and collaboration agreement with iCAD to pursue an AI solution that would focus on using mammography to define a patient’s cardiovascular risk, unlocking an additional application for a traditional mammogram. The collaboration is in its infancy with an expected 2023 pilot period. Go here for more information

In the spring of 2021, Solis Mammography took another leap forward in furthering our mission of earliest stage breast cancer detection. Through the integration of AI-based imaging software into our 3D early detection screening platform, our fellowship-trained breast imagers now have a new tool to improve detection accuracy and patient outcomes.

Today, a sophisticated AI algorithm rapidly analyzes each individual 3D mammogram image or slice against a database of tens of thousands of patients who had biopsy-proven cancer. The algorithm flags images with a higher likelihood of having the features of cancers, allowing the radiologist to examine potential malignant lesions and areas of concern more closely.

With the tremendous volume of information acquired in 3D-based breast imaging, AI has an increasingly relevant role to play in mammography. The ability to digest and evaluate large volumes of clinical data against a 3D-image dataset of cancer images gives radiologists added confidence in their interpretation and patients added confidence in their results.

And it establishes a foundation for the bold advances to come, which will expand upon the role of a mammogram in a patient’s healthcare journey.

The AI algorithm assigns case scores, which represent the percentage of time the features of a 3D image match a referenced image set of biopsy-proven cancers.

With every visit, our patients experience an unparalleled level of personalized care, compassion and clinical excellence. Behind the scenes, however, we're constantly working to find new ways to advance our mission of early detection. Through the ongoing adoption of leading edge technology and our collaborative research and improvement efforts, our vision is limitless.

A Gateway to Community Health

At Solis Mammography, we are anchored to the belief that breast cancer is not preventable, but it is curable if detected early. As a patient-facing, community-based women’s imaging provider, we have an established presence across the United States in communities of every size, operating both wholly owned centers and successful partnerships with large hospital systems and prominent medical and academic institutions. “We have the unique privilege of focusing exclusively on breast health. When we enter a community, we bring experiential knowledge with us,” said Dr. Chirag Parghi. “We’re ready to create a positive impact.”

Research Update: Moving the Industry Forward

From our definitive research proving the superior screening status of 3D mammography, and as an architect and early site-testing resource for the SmartCurve curved compression system, we’ve long been a real-world data hub for our own proprietary clinical research, as well as a collaborator and vital partner for technology innovators. In the years ahead, we’ll continue to take the lead in exploring the possibilities posed by new screening methodologies and practice advancements, furthering the adoption of those solutions that provide clinically proven results on behalf of our patients.

Current Initiatives:

American College of Radiology (ACR) Mammography Positioning Improvement Collaborative Solis Mammography was selected to participate in the ACR’s inaugural positioning collaborative to help set quality standards for the industry.

Led by Sarah Pittman, MD, clinical assistant professor in the Department of Radiology at Stanford University School of Medicine, the collaborative’s goal is to decrease the risk of missed cancers by establishing consistent standards in mammography positioning in the U.S. and internationally. The quality of mammography images is fundamental to early breast cancer detection. Substandard positioning of the patient at the mammography machine is the primary cause of inadequate images, which can lead to undetected breast cancer. Go here for more information

Next Generation Mammography Screening

Hologic and Solis Mammography have partnered to collaborate on a clinical research study to advance breast cancer screening and detection. Hologic previously partnered with Solis on the development and roll out of SmartCurve, Hologic’s proprietary curved paddle, which offers more uniform compression and fewer pinch points – with the goal of both improved images and patient comfort. As we continue to urge women to return to regular screenings missed during COVID, both companies are focused on continuing to improve mammography technology to catch earlier stage cancers.

Life-Saving Stats

CANCER DETECTION RATE

National standard: 4 per 1,000 PROCEDURES PER YEAR

RECALL RATE

National standard: 8 - 12%

Patients who return within a 12-15 mo. period. National Average: 51%

Number of procedures per year across all sites.

How we make a difference in patients' lives

Hear more from Chirag Parghi, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Solis Mammography

State of Mammography?

COVID-19 Curveball

While the benefits of mammography are well documented, the COVID-19 pandemic derailed many patients’ established routines in scheduling and receiving annual screenings.

The pandemic set back screening mammography further than any other category of breast care, with patient visits dropping to 36% of pre-pandemic rates, according to a study published in June 2022 in the Journal of the American College of Radiology. Analyzing more than 7.2 million patient records, the study provided the broadest and largest examination of the pandemic’s impact on breast cancer screening outcomes in the United States during the peak of the pandemic and in the subsequent rebound year.

And while the rebound has been healthy, the study shows that screening mammography remains at only 85.3% of pre-pandemic utilization. These findings raise concern that many asymptomatic women will continue to skip or postpone their annual mammogram, leading to an increase in late-stage cancer diagnoses, which are associated with worse prognoses.

At Solis Mammography, the rebound has been steady. In the most recent reporting period of screening volumes across the United States, August 2022 showed record-setting screening visits across the organization.

Screening Guidelines

Despite robust advancements in accuracy and access, and a broader understanding of the efficacy of mammography, there continues to be conflicting recommendations for the age at which to start screening mammograms and how frequently to have them. Patients and physicians alike are left to sort through the contradictory advice.

Solis Mammography aligns with the evidence-based protocols and guidelines of national societies and institutions, such as the American College of Radiology (ACR), the Society of Breast Imaging (SBI), the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), which recommend annual screenings beginning at age 40 for average-risk women.

Annual mammography screening starting at age 40 is associated with the highest mortality reduction for average-risk women, allowing for the greatest number of lives saved and the most life years gained. "Today's high-quality screenings benefit 40-year old women the most," said Dr. Stephen Rose, Solis Mammography's Director of Clinical Research. "Major studies have shown time and again that in addition to saving lives, early detection offers greater quality of life as treatment is less invasive and less costly."

What is the current

The pandemic set back screening mammography further than any category of breast care, including diagnostic mammography and biopsies.

Radiologists On the Record

of radiology?

“AI solutions offer radiology unique, instant advances in patient care. By being able to compare each study to a reference of 100,000 cases, our radiologists gain unprecedented tools to identify cancers and similar disease even earlier in our patients while simultaneously flagging the sickest of patients to be managed in the most expedient manner. We can diagnose both faster and with greater accuracy, which improves our fundamental offering to patients.

“One in six breast cancers are diagnosed in women in their 40s. When they’re diagnosed that young, they tend to have more aggressive tumors and if you don’t catch their cancers early, they will end up having more aggressive therapies. That means larger surgeries, chemotherapy, more time away from work, more time away from family. So actually, most of the years of life lost in breast cancer are in younger women.”

“I had a case of a patient with a 4-millimeter cancer that was buried in dense tissue. That would have been very difficult to identify on a screening mammogram, but the algorithm helped me focus on it by flagging the lesion. There have been other similar cases of the algorithm catching very subtle cancers early, which increases the rate of survival. That’s why we invest in this technology. We’re ensuring we’re doing the very best we can for our patients.”

Chirag Parghi, MD | Chief Medical Officer, Solis Mammography

“It's critical who reads your mammogram. You want a fellowship-trained breast imager to read your mammogram because we have extra training beyond what a general radiologist has. I look at it like any other area of medicine. If I were going to have heart surgery, I would go to a cardiovascular surgeon because they perform cardiac surgeries every day. If I need breast health, then I'm going to go to a dedicated breast imager that is looking at breast images every day.”

Jennifer Mayne, MD | Breast Imaging Radiologist, Solis Mammography, Denton, Texas

“We

40

magic number only because that's when

start for average-risk patients, but

breasts long before that. I think it's important to have these discussions to identify whether a high-risk screening protocol should be initiated at an earlier age or if genetic testing needs to happen. That needs to, in my mind, have happened by the age of 30.”

How is AI changing the future

Ryan Lee, MD | Chair of Radiology, Einstein Healthcare Network, now part of Jefferson Health

What do you think is the biggest benefit to starting annual screening at 40?

Andrea Parada, MD | Medical Director, Solis Mammography at Rose Medical Center, Denver, Colorado

Can you share an example of how AI caught a small breast cancer?

What is one thing you wish was better understood about mammography?

think of

as being the

annual screening should

we have

When should physicians begin having breast health conversations with patients?

Anjali Malik, MD | Breast Imaging Radiologist, Washington Radiology, Washington, DC

More than three decades of patient-centered breast care

The Solis Mammography Story

Reinventing the Patient Experience Patient Voices

Through extensive proprietary research into understanding a woman’s motivation for getting or avoiding a mammogram, Solis Mammography created the Peace of Mind Mammogram, a promise of comfort, convenience and compassion. Our early understanding of patient needs allowed us to remake the mammography experience through a human-centered design approach that personalized a patient's screening journey before, during and after the exam.

We now know that the greatest improvement in our ability to detect early-stage breast cancers lies not just in the technology itself, but in driving patient engagement, compliance and satisfaction to higher levels. With convenient online scheduling, easily accessible locations, quick and efficient appointments at soothing, spa-like centers, and fast results, we’ve reduced the barriers to routine screening.

We’ve also removed the fear of pain and discomfort, which has been the most frequently voiced obstacle to getting a mammogram. SmartCurve, with its signature curved paddle, distributes pressure more evenly over the breast, lessening the force of compression while maximizing comfort. In use at every Solis Mammography location, it has been clinically proven to provide a more comfortable mammogram.

By rethinking the way that mammography is experienced, Solis Mammography has engaged patients in their own breast health, driving awareness, compliance and advocacy. And, peace of mind.

Headquartered in Addison, Texas, Solis Mammography operates more than 100 centers in major markets across the country, including Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Denver, Phoenix, Chicago, Philadelphia, Columbus, Nashville, Greensboro, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and through its affiliated brands Washington Radiology and Progressive Radiology, Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia.

Patient Satisfaction 91.8%

“Love having them in the neighborhood.”

“I never felt alone.”

"Solis is almost like a day spa."