Diamonds donate $3m to fight breast cancer

 

Women's Hospital to buy 3D imaging machines

Breast-cancer detection in B.C. will take a giant leap forward, thanks to a $3-million donation from the Gordon and Leslie Diamond family to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation and B.C. Women's Hospital.


The donation, to be announced today, will pay for the purchase of two digital mammography machines with tomosynthesis, which allows for three-dimensional imaging of breast tissue. It is the largest single donation to both the CBCF (in B.C. and Canada) and the hospital foundation, and will establish the Sadie Diamond Breast Health Imaging Centre at BC Women's Hospital. Sadie Diamond was Gordon's mother, who died of breast cancer.


Tomosynthesis captures a series of different views of the breast, instantly reconstructing them as a 3D image on a computer screen.


Radiologists say that because they can see through every layer of tissue, they can detect more cancers and decrease the number of false-positives, which may lead to unnecessary biopsies.


Dr. Paula Gordon, medical director of the breast program at BC Women's Hospital and Health Centre, said that 70 out of every 1,000 women screened are called back for more testing because of a perceived abnormality.


Of those 70, only three get a diagnosis of breast cancer.


"One of the harms of screening mammography is the anxiety associated with callbacks, and, as you can see, there are 67 worried women in that callback category," she said.


Leslie Diamond, a breast-cancer survivor herself, said she has long respected Gordon as a physician and she regards BC Women's Hospital as a provincial gem.


"There aren't enough Paula Gordons in this province. And these doctors are using archaic technology.


"We're thrilled that the breast-cancer foundation is partnering with BC Women's, which is an amazing hospital. And we know this gift will be used very wisely."


While traditional, plain-film X-ray technology is about 85 per cent sensitive in detecting breast tumours, the new equipment's 3-D capability is expected to capture more cancers. Indeed, Gordon said, digital mammography will eventually replace plain film.


"Everyone is going to go to digital because it is state of the art and higher resolution. In radiology, screening mammography is the last to go digital. In fact, there are radiology residents [specialists in training] who have never even seen X-ray film until they work in mammography," said Gordon.


It is uncertain who will get screened on the new 3-D equipment.


"Will it be used on everyone or just as a diagnostic tool? I don't know at this point, but I would love to see it used for high-risk women and those with dense breasts," said Gordon.


Dr. Jan Christilaw, president of the hospital, said the technology will not only reduce the time it takes to confirm whether a patient has breast cancer, but will ensure the hospital is able to attract, train and retain radiologists and technologists who want to work on state-of-the-art equipment.


In addition to the $3 million from the Diamond family, the Provincial Health Services Authority is contributing another $1.1 million to train radiologists and other staff on the new equipment.


The Diamond family has given tens of millions of dollars to health care institutions, including $20 million to Vancouver General Hospital for the ambulatory care centre that bears their names.


Diamond said philanthropy is a way to "give back to the community and is "in keeping with the Jewish faith.


"Our family has embraced the meaning of tikkun olam ['repairing the world'] with our charitable gifts over the years that benefit every faith and ethnicity," she said.


The equipment will not be installed until sometime in 2011, after a request for proposals.