RSNA and GE HealthCare Bring Advanced Mammography Technology to Tanzania to Improve Access and Help Address Breast Cancer Mortality Rate

Today the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) and GE HealthCare (Nasdaq: GEHC) announced their collaboration to provide mammography technology, training and educational tools to radiologists at Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH), part of the Muhimbili University of Health and Sciences (MUHAS), in Tanzania to improve access to screening and help clinicians lower the country’s breast cancer mortality rate.

MNH at MUHAS is a public hospital serving Dar es Salaam, the largest city in Tanzania, and did not have a working mammography machine. For women in Tanzania, breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer mortality,¹ with more than 80% of diagnoses happening at stage III or IV when the odds of long-term survivability are much lower.² Additionally, the lifetime risk for developing breast cancer is approximately one in twenty, and approximately half of all women diagnosed with breast cancer in the country die of the disease.³

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide, affecting both developed and developing countries.⁴ Its impact transcends borders, cultures, and socioeconomic backgrounds. To help improve radiology education and patient care around the world, RSNA developed the Global Learning Center (GLC) program that works to create learning centers with established radiology departments based in low- or middle-resourced countries, like Tanzania. Through this program, a team of RSNA members works with the institution over three years to develop a customized curriculum with in-person, hands-on training, didactic lectures, conferences, online courses and other education offerings. MUHAS is part of the RSNA GLC program and is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA).

As part of the new agreement, GE HealthCare will install the Pristina Mammography Suite, which includes 2D and 3D digital breast tomosynthesis, Contrast Enhanced Mammography (CEM), CEM Biopsy capabilities and a Seno Iris workstation, at MUHAS, as well as provide maintenance of the system at no charge to the university.

Approximately twenty nurses, radiologists and techs will be involved with the mammography suite. Live trainings under the grant will cover operation of the system, image interpretation, patient care, video tutorials, case study learning, engagement of physicians in a peer learning network and, upon course completion, a GE HealthCare-issued certification.