Manitoba invests in new breast cancer diagnostic machine

St. Boniface hospital has a new way to help breast cancerpatients with treatment.

Manitobas health minister Theresa Oswald announced Tuesday the hospital has recently installed a new advanced diagnostic machine that helps doctors determine which breast cancer treatments will be most effective.

The machine helps doctors dramatically speed up treatment, according to provincial officials.

It analyzes a specific protein known as human epidermal growth factor receptor to determine if patients have a more aggressive and difficult to treat cancer.

Previously, testing for the protein had to be done out of province.

Oswald also announced a number of new digital mammography machines to be distributed throughout the province.

The machines use digital scans rather than film and eliminate the need to ship scans to radiologists.

The first digital machines are expected to be rolled out in the province this year.

The new machines come as part of a $40-million provincial investment to improve care for cancer patients in the Manitoba.

Each year, more than 6,100 Manitobans are diagnosed with cancer, and breast cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer among women in the province.