Healthcare Imaging Update Archives – September 1, 2008
September 1, 2008
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PET/CT: Several barriers impede larger-scale use
The need for more data and research is just one of the barriers to larger-scale use of positron emission tomography/CT (PET/CT). Another issue is availability of resources. -
Clinical input can be key when interpreting head, neck cancer scans
There is new evidence that a multidisciplinary approach to interpreting positron emission tomography/CT (PET/CT) scans can go a long ways toward eliminating unnecessary biopsies in patients with head and neck cancers. That's the gist of findings presented at the recent International Conference on Head and Neck Cancer. -
PET/CT tops detecting secondary cancers
Secondary cancers occur in 5-10% of patients with head and neck cancer, but there has been no industry standard for identifying such cancers. Consequently, many centers use numerous tests including ultrasound, X-rays, CT, and blood work to uncover secondary disease. -
PET/CT could save millions in ID of transplant cases
A study out of Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions provides new evidence that fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/CT (PET/CT) is not only more accurate than CT, but it also could save the U.S. health care system $150 million per year if it was used, instead of CT, to identify which patients with relapsed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) stand to benefit from stem cell transplants. -
AML patients: New way to gauge treatment response
Preliminary findings suggest that positron emission tomography/CT (PET/CT), using the radiotracer fluoro-L-thymidine (FLT), might be able to quickly show whether chemotherapy is working in patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). -
CTC study questions new recommendations
A new study calls into question some of the recommendations put forth in new guidelines issued by the American Cancer Society, the US Multi-Society Task Force on Colorectal Cancer, and the American College of Radiology (ACR), regarding CT colonography (CTC),1 but there remains considerable disagreement about the implications of the findings. -
Low rates still a concern for colorectal screening
While there is some improvement in colorectal cancer screening rates since 2000, still only about half of men and women over age 50 received the recommended screening tests in 2005, according to a report in the July 2008 issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers, and Prevention. -
Debate: Heel ultrasound to assess density, fracture
A new multicenter study suggests that a simple ultrasound exam of the heel might be able to indicate whether a woman is at risk for an osteoporotic-related fracture. -
New approach: Tumor response in cancer patients
It can be frustrating, and even heart-breaking, to find out that a lengthy course of treatment was not effective. This statement is particularly relevant for fast-growing diseases such as cervical cancer. -
Breast cancer patients fail to complete radiotherapy
Adherence to therapy is critical to preventing recurrence in breast cancer patients, but new findings suggest that as many as 13% of women fail to complete the recommended course of radiation following breast cancer surgery. -
SPECT-CT system shows promise in breast imaging
Researchers at Durham, NC-based Duke University Medical Center have developed a hybrid imager that could improve detection of breast cancer while also relieving the discomfort associated with traditional breast screening exams such as mammography. -
Endoscopy document defines role of imaging
With the rapidly increasing number of weight-loss surgeries performed in the United States, the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE), based in Oak Brook, IL, has unveiled new guidelines on the practice of endoscopy in preoperative and postoperative bariatric surgery patients. The recommendations have implications for imaging professionals.