Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

Rankin Inlet (Oct 09/02) - Rankin Inlet is attempting to position itself on the cutting edge of modern medical technology.

A patient undergoes a breast exam using laser mammography. Rankin Inlet is in line to have the first publicly operated system in the world. - photo courtesy of Piruqsaijit Ltd.

Piruqsaijit Ltd. is negotiating to land the first computer tomography laser mammography system (CTLM) to be put into general use worldwide.

The CTLM system has the ability to detect breast cancer by identifying tumours at a very early stage.

The system operates as a tomographic scanner to generate slice images of the breast using harmless, near infrared light without applying any breast compression.

The new device can detect tumours much smaller than current techniques, and determine whether they're malignant or benign with greater accuracy.

It's hoped the laser mammography will eliminate many unnecessary, and often painful, false biopsies. There's no radiation used and images can be saved to a computer disk, rather than cumbersome X-ray plates.

The advancement allows images to be e-mailed almost anywhere for a second or third opinion.

Piruqsaijit general manager Hilary Rebeiro says the device was developed and patented in the United States by Imaging Diagnostic Systems Inc.

He says Rankin is in line for the CTLM system because a colleague of his obtained exclusive rights to the device for Canada and selected areas around the world.

"They asked if we'd like it for Nunavut," says Rebeiro.

"It usually takes 10 years or more to get new technologies up here, so it will be nice to be able to say we had this first in Nunavut. Our board of directors said we want it first for Inuit women, even though the experts will tell you that Nunavut has, historically, the lowest rate of breast cancer in the country. We feel it will make a difference in the quality of life here."

The CTLM system costs several hundred thousand dollars.

Piruqsaijit plans to purchase it outright and house it in a private clinic in Rankin.

Technicians are required to conduct the diagnostics, which are then read by radiologists.

Piruqsaijit plans to provide training in Florida and hire its own technicians. It will then seek accreditation for the technicians and a prominent group of radiologists from the GN.

The target date for having the device operational in Rankin is early in 2003.

Rebeiro says the goal is to have the device become part of a regular annual examination for woman over 35 or 40 years of age, which would be covered by their health insurance.

He says the CTLM system is a much better alternative to waiting until a bigger lump is discovered.

"We expect -- for the first six to nine months, before it shows up elsewhere -- we'll get women who can afford this type of treatment coming in from across Canada."

More to value

than money

The question has already been asked if, from an economic viewpoint, it's worth having the CTLM system in a territory with about 26,000 people?

Rebeiro says you don't have to be a business major to know the answer to that question is absolutely not.

He says much like Nunavut itself, its worth cannot be determined strictly on economic terms.

"In essence, Nunavut is costing Canadians money, but, in order to make it worthwhile, you have to invest prudently in treatment centres and projects like this.

"The people who started the whole land claim process felt maybe, just maybe, Nunavut will grow to be the aboriginal success story and economic powerhouse they aspired it to be.

"When you look at the flow of dollars going out of this territory to the South -- estimated to be about $560 million a year -- most of the money spent in Nunavut ends up back in Southern Canada's pockets. We're looking to bring some of that money back to Nunavut, while, at the same time, increasing the quality of life for women here."