European CAD market benefits from expanding application areas

Published: 04/09

LONDON, UK - (HealthTech Wire) - Computer Aided Detection (CAD) has maintained its position as a radiologist's third eye since the early 2000s. With increasing awareness of prevention and treatment options available to treat early-stage cancer, screening and detection aids are dominating the 'must have' lists for radiologists.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (www.medicalimaging.frost.com), European Markets for Computer Aided Detection, finds that the market earned revenues of $116.9 million in 2007 and estimates this to reach $449.8 million in 2014.

If you are interested in a virtual brochure, which provides manufacturers, end users, and other industry participants with an overview of the European markets for CAD, then send an e-mail to Patrick Cairns, Corporate Communications, at pcairns_pr@frost.com, with your full name, company name, title, telephone number, company e-mail address, company website, city, state and country. Upon receipt of the above information, an overview will be sent to you by e-mail.

"CAD has significantly expanded its application boundaries," notes Frost & Sullivan medical imagining Programme Leader Aarati Ajay. "From being a collaborative tool for mammography studies, it has now become established as a comprehensive support tool for cancer diagnosis."

In its initial days, CAD's usage was limited to film and digital mammography. However, with the development of technology, it is increasingly being used in the detection of lesions for lung/chest applications and with virtual colonoscopy applications.

With reimbursement for the procedural uptake of capital-intensive medical imaging modalities such as MRI taking a cut as part of the Deficit Reduction Act of the United States, OEM vendors are in the race to develop and introduce upgraded versions of existing systems that allow building efficiencies into processes. This poses a challenge to market expansion.

"The market for colon CAD is dependent on the increasing penetration of virtual colonoscopy and developers of colon CAD are often faced with the challenge of selling the concept," adds Ajay. "Owing to the fact that the industry is relatively nascent and is still in the phase of growth, much remains to be achieved in this market."

The most important means to reduce the impact of this on the industry is to develop solutions that allow for increasing procedural numbers and enhancing efficiencies. In order to fulfil these criteria, CT and MRI machines are being developed with inbuilt capabilities to allow for better diagnostic aid. For instance, in the latest version of breast MRI, GE Healthcare has integrated the system with CAD software from Confirma.