Koning News & Insights

It is still not common knowledge that there is notable disparity in breast cancer death rates, particularly for Black women. Overall death rates decreased by 43% between 1989 and 2020, according to a report released by the American Cancer Society (ACS) on October 3 and published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.

However, Black women are still least likely to receive a breast cancer diagnosis when the disease is still localized. Black women also have the lowest five-year survival rate of any racial/ethnic group compared to White women for every breast cancer subtype except stage I; the biggest discrepancies are for stage III (64% vs. 77%) and stage IV (20% vs. 31%).

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The pink ribbon is synonymous with breast cancer, charity, survival. But where did it all start? 

In 1979, Penney Laingen, the wife of an American hostage who had been taken in Iran, was inspired by song to tie yellow ribbons around the trees in her front yard. The ribbon signaled her desire to see her husband home again, and for the first time, ribbon became message as they sprouted up across the country in solidarity. 

11 years later, the activist art group Visual AIDS turned the ribbon bright red for those affected by the disease, “because it’s the color of passion”, and sent it onto the national stage during the Tony awards. Overnight, every charitable cause had to have a ribbon. After just a short time, they were so ubiquitous that The New York Times declared 1992 “The Year of the Ribbon.”

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On September 16, Koning celebrated the launch of our new Koning clinic by putting together a special set of announcements for Women's Health Innovation Day. The afternoon started with an overview of the breast imaging industry by David Georges, followed by presentations on Koning’s future in the imaging industry by Lutao Ning, and investing in women’s health by Matthew Stack. 

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With Breast Cancer Awareness Month right around the corner, it is time to get familiar with our bodies. Regular breast examinations are important for women of all ages, and the younger you start to regularly examine your breasts, the better you can detect any abnormalities. The best time to do a self-exam is in the days after the end of your period, when the tenderness and premenstrual swelling is gone and the breast tissue is at its softest. Some women also find it easier to examine in the shower, when the skin is slippery.

To conduct a self-exam, look at the breasts through the mirror with your hands up, then down. Look out for:

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There are many different types of breast cancer defined by how much they have grown or spread, and how they behave. One way to categorize different types of breast cancer is through an invasive/non-invasive dichotomy. When breast cancer is called invasive, it means it has spread into the surrounding breast tissue:

• Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), starts in the milk ducts, the tubes that carry milk from the lobules to the nipple. It is the most common type of breast cancer as about 80% of all breast cancers are invasive ductal carcinomas. 

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Oral contraceptives, better known as the pill, may affect a woman’s chances of developing breast and gynecologic cancers. In some cases, that means a bigger chance of cancer whereas in others, it means protection against cancer.

The National Cancer Institute notes that 12.4 percent of American women will develop breast cancer in their lifetimes due to risk factors such as family history of the disease or obesity. That equates to 12,400 cases of breast cancer per 100,000 women. 

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First, a heartfelt thank you to our investors who have helped us raise almost $200k in the first days since the launch of our campaign on StartEngine. Koning is thrilled to gain such momentous support without which our growth would not be possible. 

Since our previous raise on Republic.com, where we raised over $2 million, Koning has:

• Completed our 3rd generation device and submitted it for regulatory approval
• Restarted sales efforts globally coming out of the pandemic
• Taken the largest number of purchase orders in the history of the company 
• Completed data gathering for our screening indication in the U.S.

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While Koning continues to spread awareness about the KBCT, many of our events and main offices are still in Atlanta, Georgia. In honor of this special tie, we compiled a list of local resources for women and men with breast cancer: 

1) Cancer Support Community Atlanta

CSC Atlanta provides local programs of education along with a variety of classes to help support survivors and their loved ones during and after treatment. All classes are free of charge and led by seasoned professionals. Northside Hospital Cancer Institute recently chose CSC Atlanta to be the provider of their psychosocial oncology services.

 https://www.cscatlanta.org

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Koning writer, Matilda Bletsa, sat down with Naomi Cosman, our Vice President of Marketing, to discuss what it means to be a woman working in disruptive innovation and science.

Take a look at the questions asked and answered below: 

Matilda: How long have you worked for Koning?

Naomi: I have been with Koning for about a year and a half.

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The most significant risk factor for breast cancer is being a woman over 50. 

Although the majority of women fall into several less obvious risk categories, most will never get breast cancer. Meanwhile others may get it even without any known risk factors. Even though this randomness plays a big part, preventative awareness matters. 

Here are 9 known risk factors for breast cancer: 

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Unless people experience breast cancer in their own lives, or they are close to someone who does, they might not be able to separate myth from fact when it comes to this disease. Although breast cancer is one of the better-known and more-talked-about cancers, there are still many misconceptions out there:

MYTH: If you maintain a healthy weight, exercise regularly, eat healthy, and limit alcohol, you do not have to worry about breast cancer. 

FACT: Although these behaviors can help lower breast cancer risk, they can not eliminate it.

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Koning’s breast CT device has momentous benefits over traditional modalities. In a Port Orange Screening trial, women’s experiences were examined compared to mammography specifically.

The data acquired in the clinical trial covered the typical screening population of women who are 40 years and older. The analysis of the patient feedback demonstrated that the KBCT System, version 2.0, is significantly more comfortable when compared with breast compression that occurs with screening mammography.

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Koning writer, Matilda Bletsa, interviewed David Georges, our North America President, about breast cancer screening statistics in the US. Who skips their screenings and why?

Matilda: What does the process of getting a screening appointment look like?

David: Patients are advised by their primary care physician to obtain an annual screening mammogram once they research the age of 40. Obtaining the order and making an appointment is a shared responsibility between the patient and the physician. 

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Researchers say a healthy plant-based diet can reduce the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women. At the same time they warn that an unhealthy plant-based diet with processed foods and added sugars can actually increase breast cancer risk.

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Few children understand the idea of cancer, and when it becomes part of their family life they need reassurance and support. Feelings of confusion and fear are very common, and your first reaction as a parent may be to protect your children by keeping information from them or delaying the conversation. 

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Women’s health has historically suffered from neglect and lack of funding. As technology is slowly catching up, an increasing amount of attention is being paid to the field. We are hopeful that this attention precedes significant innovation and improvement. 

Here are 3 apps specifically designer to help women through different phases of life:

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With Father’s Day just behind, Koning would like to bring more attention to male breast cancer. While it is common knowledge that breast cancer occurs mainly in women, many people do not realize that men have breast tissue and can develop breast cancer, too. Male breast cancer diagnoses can often be delayed because of how unlikely the condition is.

Statistics show just how rare the disease is; the most common male cancer is prostate cancer, with a yearly case amount of 268,000 compared to the male breast cancer equivalent of 2,700. To contrast, 287,000 women are annually diagnosed with breast cancer in the US. 

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Out of the various racial divides in the U.S. and more than any other group, the African American population has a significantly larger number of women who are detected with breast cancer below the age of 40. More than 10% of African-American women with breast cancer were diagnosed before age 40, compared to 5% of white patients.

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With June comes summer, and with summer months comes the sun. It can be easy to get distracted by the warm light and forget to protect our skin, and while nobody can deny that a beautiful day in the sun can feel great, the negative health consequences can outweigh the benefits. Burning is not the only downside as tanning is a form of sun damage as well. It is best to avoid the sun altogether when it is at its hottest. 

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Koning is launching Vera by Koning, the latest version of our breast CT device. The name ”Vera” was inspired by its Italian meaning, “truth”, to highlight our mission and share our pride in being a true 3D imaging option.

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There is no such thing as a “safe” amount of alcohol. Even the smallest amount may add to the risk of developing breast cancer. Alcohol is classified as a category 1A carcinogen, just like tobacco and asbestos. One glass of wine increases the risk of getting breast cancer by 10%. One bottle a day, 6 glasses, increases the risk by 70%. The quality of the alcohol is irrelevant; the more you drink, the higher the risk. 

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 By the time breast screening is timely, most women have had children. Koning honors the commitment that for many women marks the most resounding shift into life as they know it.

Motherhood is traditionally synonymous with nurturement, stirring pots, lighting birthday candles, wiping tears, being present and other-focused. Whether having children is the path chosen, the idea of motherhood adds to a much broader picture of family. With or without the element of giving birth, this definition focuses on being both the giver and receiver of unconditional love.

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Koning writer, Matilda Bletsa, sat down with CEO Lutao Ning to discuss women’s health and the progress of Koning. 

Matilda: What are some major consumer complaints that Koning could address?

Lutao: The first complaint is compression. We know that the vast majority of women who skip their annual mammograms do so because they have either experienced pain from compression, or because they have heard about it. There are approximately 40 million mammograms done each year, against a much larger number of 120 million screening-aged women. Over 80 million mammograms are not done each year, which shows that the compliance is low with the current technology. 

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The majority of breast cancer diagnoses in the U.S. occur in older women, with only about 4 percent falling in women under 40. A breast cancer diagnosis is exceptionally shocking in a phase where life is typically centered around family and career – all of a sudden it is recovery and survivorship that take top priority.

Women who give birth to their first child at age 35 or younger tend to have a decreased risk of breast cancer, although the risk is increased for about 10 years after a first birth. After that, women who give birth tend to have a lower risk of breast cancer than women who never give birth.

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There are those who believe that cancer is above all a spiritual battle, a test of psychological resilience to be met with faith, mediation, and wishful thinking. On the other extreme, cancer can be viewed as a strictly physiological error, a glitch of the cells. While medical treatment tends to focus on attacking tumors, an increased amount of attention is being paid to mental factors that go beyond biology.

Evidence from a study by Sandra Sephton et al. (2000) supports the notion of a link between psychosocial stress and tumor progression, as a loss of the normal daily variation in cortisol levels predicted early death in patients with breast cancer. In other words, research shows that stress has an undeniable physiological impact. Few would suggest that relaxation can cure cancer, but ignoring disease-related stress is shortsighted; mind matters.

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Breast cancer is the most common cancer globally, affecting women of all ages with an average risk of 13% in the United States alone. Its effects can be greatly reduced with early detection and proper medical care - which means it is only fitting that a great amount of effort is put into bettering the industry and creating a more successful patient experience.

Traditional breast imaging options such as FFDM, DBT, ULTRASOUND, MRI, and full-body CT have several drawbacks. By developing the Koning Breast Computerized Tomography (KBCT), Koning aims to revolutionize the breast imaging industry. 

KBCT benefits over traditional imaging options include:

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Aside from our genetic predisposition, our lifestyle choices are the primary deciding factors when it comes to the risk of us developing breast cancer. Abstaining from harmful substances, such as alcohol and tobacco, as well as staying physically active on a regular basis are all things we can control in our lives in order to lessen our chances of the dreaded diagnosis. Additionally, what we choose to eat is another crucial part of the cancer prevention tools available to us. 

There are many diets out there; some of them work better than others at maintaining a general level of health and wellbeing. However, there is one that stands out from the rest as the most successful in cancer prevention: the Mediterranean diet. It consists of foods rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients, as well as healthy fats and fiber. It helps stave off many types of cancer, as well as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and other chronic conditions. 

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Early screening and detection is the key to breast cancer survival. Thankfully, modern technology has advanced to the point where there are many diagnostic options available. However, these options vary greatly in terms of convenience, cost, and effectiveness. Today, we will discuss these various screening methods with a particular focus on Koning’s innovative approach to cancer prevention. 

Currently, there are several main modalities for breast cancer detection: mammography, digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT), ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and — of course — Koning Breast CT. The criteria for evaluating them involve factors of diagnostic efficiency, patient experience, expense, and safety. Let’s dive in!

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The usefulness of imaging methods for the diagnosis of breast cancer is widely known. Breast cancer is a malignant disease in which, if acted on time, good outcomes are obtained. For women at average risk for breast cancer, mammograms should be performed every year, beginning at age 40. Based on a recent survey of 489 women, 62% of them being more than 45 years old, 33% had their mammogram done this year despite the pandemic*. Nevertheless, due to social distancing measurements and health restrictions and stress about pain during the mammogram, 53% of women went 1-2 years without their annual mammogram.

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Happy International Women’s Day, y’all! In honor of this wonderful holiday, we want to spotlight and celebrate three incredible ladies who have kicked breast cancer’s butt and continued thriving like a boss. This disease affects hundreds of thousands women a year, and these are just three examples of the bravery and strength it takes to be a survivor. 

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The female form has inspired worship, reverence, and adoration in many different cultures since the beginning  of time. Women’s bodies, and particularly their breasts, have traditionally symbolized fertility, birth, life, and love. It is sadly ironic, then, that those very same body parts are also linked to the devastating disease that has historically affected hundreds of thousands women. Today, we take a look at the history of breast cancer in hopes of understanding this complicated and dangerous affliction.

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If the past two years have taught us anything, it’s that awareness and education are crucial to remaining healthy and safe. As the world nears the second anniversary of the official start to the COVID-19-19 pandemic, we look back on the way this issue has been affecting various facets of breast cancer and breast health. 

Disruptions in Screening and Prevention

Before 2020, most people visited their doctor annually for an overall wellness exam and bloodwork. They scheduled appointments when they were injured, or when they felt something strange within their bodies. Those with higher risks of certain conditions got regular screenings and preventive procedures, as recommended by their physicians. 

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Winter Blues, Cancer, and Ways to Ward Off Both 

Let’s face it — our mental state, our mood, and emotions play a crucial role in our overall health. Whenever we feel down, we aren’t as prone to take care of ourselves like we should. We seek out quick-fix sources of serotonin, which frequently equate to unhealthy choices and behaviors. As the winter months approach their peak, our bodies crave sunshine and warmth, affecting our emotions and even causing seasonal depression in some.  

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Whether or not you buy into the hype of Valentine’s Day, whether you’re single, taken, or somewhere in between — it is always important to remember the one person that deserves the most love in your life: YOU! 

What does this have to do with breast health, you ask? Well, self-love is a practice that supports and increases our self-esteem, which in turn may positively affect our overall physical health and boost our immune functions, studies show. It appears that protecting yourself from breast cancer doesn’t just involve healthy lifestyle habits and early detection strategies. (To learn more about the latter, visit koninghealth.com!) 

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Heart disease and cancer are the first and second leading causes of death for women. The sad reality is that few people are lucky enough to remain unaffected by at least one of these vicious killers. Whether through personal experience or caring for a sick loved one, most of us will unfortunately have to face these diseases at some point in our lives. 

Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer affecting women, and it is unsurprising that there are links between it and heart disease. Both conditions target the same integral area of the body, so it’s important to understand the complex relationship between the two. 

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NORCROSS, Ga., Feb. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Koning, a growing medical device startup company based outside Atlanta, had a successful conclusion to 2021. The company recently finished their first Republic crowdfunding campaign, exceeding capital targets, and raising over $2.6M in only 5 months. Koning's FDA breast screening trial is also underway with participating clinics in Daytona Beach, FL and Knoxville, TN. 

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