Dr. Alla Reznik to Speak at the Tbaytel Luncheon of Hope about Radialis & Patient Who Inspired It
Published Tuesday, October 1, 2024
Dr. Alla Reznik pictured with the Radialis machine she will be speaking about at the upcoming Tbaytel Luncheon of Hope on October 4th
by Graham Strong
Dr. Alla Reznik, a scientist at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute and professor at Lakehead University, will talk about Radialis and the past, present, and possible future of breast cancer diagnosis at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation's Tbaytel Luncheon of Hope on Friday, October 4, 2024 at the Superior Inn and Conference Centre.
Dr. Reznik has dedicated her career to finding new and better ways of detecting breast cancer, particularly for patients with dense breast tissue. She will tell the story of how it all started with one patient experience.
"I will talk about my closest friend at the Tbaytel Luncheon of Hope and the issues she faced because of dense breast tissue," Dr. Reznik said. "I will also talk about the challenges of traditional mammography and MRI, and how Radialis may help overcome those challenges."
Mammography is Ontario's gold standard for breast cancer screening. However, mammograms are not perfect and many women are sent for additional tests like MRI.
"This triggers an enormous amount of testing including biopsies," Dr. Reznik said. "You can imagine the stress and compromised quality of life for those patients. It can even lead to unnecessary prophylactic mastectomies."
Dr. Reznik wanted to find a way to reduce the number of tests needed and to reduce the risk of false positives that can lead to unnecessary biopsy and mastectomies.
Radialis, a brand new imaging method now in the test phase, might be the answer.
Radialis uses low-dose Positron Emission Tomography (PET) that "lights up" cancer cells during the scan. In short, Radialis may reduce the need for biopsy, reduces the risk for unnecessary treatments including surgery, and has a much lower rate of false positives than MRI. It is also doesn't require painful breast compression like mammography.
The Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) recognized Radialis' potential earlier this year in a commentary and a news release with the headline, "Novel Technique Has Potential to Transform Breast Cancer Detection". RSNA praised Radialis' strong sensitivity and low false-positive rate compared to MRI.
However, it noted, more studies are needed to determine this new technique's "exact role and efficacy in the clinical setting". The US FDA approved Radialis for medical use, while Health Canada has authorized it to be sold for use in a clinical trial. The Hospital received its Radialis unit this summer – the third site in the world to have one.
Hear Dr. Reznik talk more about this remarkable technology at this year's Tbaytel Luncheon of Hope. To learn more and to get your tickets, please visit: healthsciencesfoundation.ca/luncheon