Mammography is a specific type of breast imaging that uses low-dose x-rays to detect cancer early before women experience symptoms, when it is most treatable. A mammography exam, called a mammogram, supports in the early detection and diagnosis of breast diseases in women. An x-ray (radiograph) is a noninvasive medical test that helps physicians diagnose and treat medical conditions. Imaging with x-rays involves exposing a part of the body to a small dose of ionizing radiation to produce pictures of the inside of the body. X-Rays are the oldest and most frequently used form of medical imaging.
Mammography is one of the most technically exacting radiographic procedures. A small change in technique or processing factors can have a significant effect on image quality and radiation dose delivered to the breast. In order to produce mammograms at the lowest doses reliable with high diagnostic sensitivity and specificity, it is necessary that careful consideration be given to the selection of equipment, patient positioning and imaging techniques and the establishment of an effective quality control program.
The Global Mammography Equipment Market is segmented on the basis of equipment type, region. On the basis of product type, the global market is classified into Digital radiography mammography equipment, and Film-screen mammography equipment (X-Ray Source Assembly, X-Ray Generator), computer-aided detection and breast tomosynthesis (2D digital mammography and 3D tomosynthesis).
Film-screen mammography, the standard imaging modality for detecting suspicious lesions at an early stage in the breasts of asymptomatic women. It has a high sensitivity in detecting suspicious lesions in the breasts composed primarily of fatty tissue. Digital mammography, also called full-field digital mammography (FFDM), is a mammography system in which the x-ray film is replaced by electronics that convert x-rays into mammographic pictures of the breast. These systems are similar to those found in digital cameras and their efficacyallows better pictures with a lower radiation dose. These images of the breast are transferred to a computer for review by the radiologist and for long term storage.
Computer-aided detection (CAD) systems search digitized mammographic images for abnormal areas of density, mass, or calcification that may indicate the presence of cancer. The CAD system highlights these areas on the images, alerting the radiologist to carefully assess this area. Breast tomosynthesis, also called three-dimensional (3-D) mammography and digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT), is an advanced form of breast imaging where multiple images of the breast from different angles are captured and reconstructed into a three-dimensional image set.
Geographically, the global market is segmented into North America (U.S., Canada), Europe (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and England, Eastern Europe, CIS), Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, Australia, Others), Latin America (Argentina, Brazil, others), and Middle East and Africa. North America accounts for the largest market share of the global mammography equipment market and is expected to remain dominant over the forecast period. Followed by Europe and Asia Pacific. This is due to due to early adoption of new technology and rising incidence of breast cancer in these regions.
The U.S. is dominating the North American mammography equipment market due to technological advancements and increasing reimbursements for full-field digital mammography.Asia is expected to show high growth rate during the forecast period. This is due to rising incidence of cancer in this region. The key players are Fujifilm Medical Systems USA, GE Healthcare, Hologic, Philips Healthcare, and Siemens Healthcare.
