Cardiac CT slices ED costs for patients with chest pain, by Evan Godt, February 8, 2012. Cardiac CT (CCT) in the emergency department (ED) is more cost effective in evaluating patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome (ACS) than the standard of care involving multiple tests and a stress SPECT scan, even when the downstream costs of CCT are considered, according to a study published in the March issue of Academic Radiology. Chest pain accounts for 5 percent of all U.S. ED visits, with approximately $12 billion spent on the evaluation of acute chest pain in 2008. Kelley R. Branch, MD, of the division of cardiology at the University of Washington in Seattle, and colleagues noted that these costs could be reduced if electrocardiogram-gated thoracic CT were used in place of the standard of care (SOC). Read more

Obama Administration boosts Alzheimer’s funding, by Lisa Fratt, February 8, 2012. The Obama Administration announced new efforts to fight Alzheimer’s disease on Feb. 7, including immediately making an additional $50 million available for Alzheimer’s research. In addition, the administration said that its FY 2013 budget will boost funding for Alzheimer’s research by $80 million.The announcement also included an additional $26 million in caregiver support, provider education, public awareness and improvements in data infrastructure. Read more

CT scan better than cardiac stress test to find heart blockages, Beaumont study shows, DetroitFreePress, By Patricia Anstett, February 7, 2012. A CT scan is better than a cardiac stress test finding heart blockages, according to a national study headquartered at Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak. The study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology could help spare patients from unnecessary, invasive heart procedures, said Dr. Kavitha Chinnaiyan, Beaumont’s director of advanced cardiac imaging education. She said the national study showed that CT imaging works very well as a ‘gatekeeper’ to the catheterization lab. Read more

FES-PET detects estrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer, AuntMinnie, By Wayne Forrest, February 8, 2012. Dutch researchers have concluded that whole-body PET with fluorine-18 fluoroestradiol (F-18 FES) can be a useful diagnostic tool in estrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer patients, according to a study published in the February issue of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine. However, whole-body FES-PET is not a reliable technique to evaluate liver metastases: The modality missed 24% of liver lesions in the study, which was led by Dr. Michel van Kruchten from the department of medical oncology at University Medical Center Groningen (JNM, Vol. 53:2, pp. 191-199). Read more

For many years now, MITA and medical imaging manufactures have been at the forefront of reducing the amount of medical radiation associated with imaging procedures by developing new, innovative technologies and features such as the MITA CT Dose Check Initiative and appropriateness criteria, which are used to guide physicians in making optimal imaging and treatment decisions for their patients. MITA has long been a champion of the ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable) principle, which is recognized by regulatory bodies around the world. MITA is also a strong supporter of the certification of equipment operators, accreditation of imaging facilities, uniform dose recording standards for imaging data and standardized reporting of medical errors associated with imaging and radiation therapy equipment. 

MITA supports California’s efforts and will continue to work closely with industry, doctors, patients, regulators and other stakeholders to ensure the safe and appropriate use of medical imaging technologies. Click here to read more about industry initiatives to reduce radiation dose.

FDA, device industry reach deal on user fees, AuntMinnie, February 1, 2012. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reached an agreement in principle with medical device industry representatives on proposed recommendations for the third reauthorization of its medical device user fee program. Under the deal, which was reached with the Advanced Medical Technology Association, the Medical Device Manufacturers Association, and the Medical Imaging and Technology Alliance, the FDA would be authorized to collect $595 million in user fees over five years, plus adjustments for inflation. Read more

PET after radiation therapy predicts NSCLC survival, AuntMinnie, by Wayne Forrest, February 3, 2012. PET can provide strong indicators of overall and disease-free survival among patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) receiving radiation therapy, according to a study published in the February Journal of Nuclear Medicine. Researchers from MD Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas found that higher residual standardized uptake values (SUVmax) on PET scans acquired after radiation therapy signal poorer overall and disease-free survival for NSCLC patients. In addition, a greater decrease in SUVmax in the lesion with the highest SUVmax at diagnosis resulted in longer overall and disease-free survival. Read more

CT guidance helps brain hemorrhage outcomes, AuntMinnie, February 2, 2012. Intracerebral hemorrhage is becoming less deadly and more surgically treatable, thanks to a new CT-guided technique that applies drugs directly to clots in patients’ brains via a catheter, dissolving them within a couple of days, according to a new study presented this week at the International Stroke Conference in New Orleans. Approximately half of people who suffer from intracerebral hemorrhage die from it, said researchers from Johns Hopkins University in a statement accompanying release of the study, which was also performed at the University of Cincinnati and the University of Chicago. Most patients receive only supportive care in an intensive care unit; craniotomy surgery is risky and undertaken in only about 10% of patients. Read more

ACR touts CT dose registry milestone, AuntMinnie, January 31, 2012. The American College of Radiology’s (ACR) Dose Index Registry (DIR) has logged 1 million CT scans from 326 registered facilities since its launch less than a year ago, the organization said. The registry’s quick progress shows that imaging providers are serious about optimizing the radiation doses that patients receive from CT scans, said registry chair Dr. Richard Morin in a statement. Data collected from the registry enable imaging facilities to compare their CT doses to regional and national values. DIR data are also used to establish national benchmarks that will enhance the ability of facilities to track radiation dose reduction efforts over time and, ultimately, reduce radiation doses overall. Read more

The U.S. government set a target of improving this statistic to 70.5 percent by 2020. With the help of advanced imaging technologies like virtual colonoscopy (CT Colonography), patients that would otherwise avoid the invasiveness of traditional colonoscopy are more likely to get checked.

To improve early detection, the CDC called for increased access to virtual colonoscopy in 2010. Furthermore, a study conducted at the National Naval Medical Center/Walter Reed Army Medical Center found that when given the option, 40 percent of patients chose virtual colonoscopy.  Moreover, 37 percent of patients who undergo colon cancer screening said they would not have done so if CT Colonography weren’t an option. The Lancet confirmed these findings last year in their own study, which found patients 55 percent more likely to undergo virtual colonoscopy rather than conventional colonoscopy.

To reach the federal government’s 2020 screening goal, Medicare needs to cover this life-saving procedure. Virtual colonoscopy costs less than a traditional exam, several studies have already proven that the procedure is as effective as traditional colonoscopy, patients say they are more likely to undergo virtual colonoscopy and 27 states including the District of Columbia already require insurance coverage for colorectal cancer screening.

Evidence shows that PET/CT are critical to diagnosing and managing patients with gastrointestinal cancer by providing information noninvasively, which means little to no recovery time or risk of infection. As a late-stage colon cancer survivor and the founder and Mayor of COLONTOWN – an advocacy and patient support community focused on the experience of a diagnosis of colorectal cancer – I know firsthand the role state-of-the-art medical imaging tools play in successfully diagnosing, monitoring and treating gastrointestinal cancers.

COLONTOWN is dedicated to preserving access to these medical imaging tools and to supporting the long-term survival of those in treatment for colorectal cancers.  At the recent ASCO GI in San Francisco, I had the opportunity to witness the effects of cutting-edge research and share our mission with researchers, clinical oncologists, physicians and other advocates. After all, colorectal cancers are preventable, treatable, and beatable when we are informed and unified against the disease.

Erika Hanson Brown is a colon cancer survivor and the Mayor of COLONTOWN, a survivor community where experienced champions of survival and prevention join together in mutual support. Visit COLONTOWN at www.colontown.org.

Cancer Screenings Remain Low for Minorities and the Uninsured, CDC Report Says, Forbes, By Gergana Koleva, January 26, 2012. A first-of-its kind federal study that looked at cancer screening rates in the U.S. has found that the percentage of Americans tested for three major types of cancer is inadequate. Asians, Hispanics, and the uninsured had particularly lower chances of being screened, the report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Cancer Institute said. In 2010, national breast cancer screening rates were 72.4%, below the target of 81%; cervical cancer screening was 83%, below the target of 93%; and colorectal cancer screening was 58.6%, below the target of 70.5%, according to the survey, “Cancer Screening in the U. S. — 2010.” The targets and the survey are part of a 10-year agenda set by Healthy People 2020, a federal interagency group initiative, to reduce the number of new cancer cases and minimize the illness, disability, and death caused by cancer nationwide. Read more

Put health screenings on this year’s schedule, USAToday, By Molly Lyons, January 25, 2012. As your 2012 calendar starts to fill, think about making appointments for health screenings you know family members need this year. “People get busy, and if they feel well, they go about their business thinking they are healthy,” says Glen Stream, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians. “As a country, we have too much focus on illness treatment rather than on wellness and prevention, which leads to people having problems that could be avoided.” Read more

Follow-up protocol performs well in CT lung screening, AuntMinnie, By Eric Barnes, January 26, 2012. Researchers reported good results with a protocol for working up patients with nodules found on CT lung screening, according to research in the February American Journal of Roentgenology. The algorithm produced low false-positive rates, and could make the establishment of large-scale CT screening programs more feasible. Read more

National cervical cancer awareness month, The Chicago Tribune, By Lara Philipps, January 23, 2012. January is National Cervical Cancer Awareness Month. Planned Parenthood’s Chicago health centers urge women to schedule a preventive checkup for cervical cancer screening. It could save your life. Every year, about 13,000 women in the U.S. are diagnosed with cervical cancer, and about 4,000 American women die of the disease. Because they are less likely to have access to early screening and treatment, Latinas and black women are more likely to develop and die of cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is the third most common cancer among women and the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths among women worldwide. Read more

Therapy can add years to certain brain tumor patients’ lives, USAToday, By Liz Szabo, January 22, 2012. The growing science of personalized medicine has good news for a select group of brain tumor patients: Combination therapy can double their survival, to nearly15 years. That’s right, 15years. At a time when most new cancer therapies offer patients only a few extra weeks or months, a treatment that can extend patients’ lives this long is “remarkable,” says Bhupinder Mann, a National Cancer Institute scientist who oversaw the new study but did not participate in it. The treatment combination — chemotherapy plus radiation — doesn’t cure brain tumors. And it doesn’t help everyone. Read more

U.S. Aims for Effective Alzheimer’s Treatment Strategy by 2020, Nature, By Meredith Wadman, January 19, 2012. Federal committee leaning towards 2020 target for treating and delaying the disease. In December 2010, the US Congress passed the National Alzheimer’s Project Act. The law instructs the US government to develop its first-ever strategic plan for battling Alzheimer’s disease, the dementia-inducing brain disorder that is expected to afflict at least 11 million US citizens by 2050. Read more

Head Trauma Victims on Blood Thinners Need Repeat CT, Medpage, By Crystal Phend, January 19, 2012. Even minor head injury in patients taking warfarin may require more than a single, initial CT scan to check for brain bleeds, Italian researchers urged. Repeat CT scans after 24 hours pointed to delayed hemorrhage in 6% of such patients whose first CT scan came up clean, Vincenzo G. Menditto, MD, of Ospedali Riuniti di Ancona, Italy, and colleagues reported online in the Annals of Emergency Medicine. Even after two negative CT scans in the 97-patient prospective case series, two discharged patients (2%) returned to the hospital days later with symptomatic brain bleeds. Read more

Proton therapy effective against prostate cancer, OncologyNurseAdvisor, By Delicia Honen Yard, January 19, 2012. Two studies published in International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics indicate that proton therapy is a useful treatment for prostate cancer. This specialized form of external-beam radiation therapy (EBRT) employs protons rather than x-rays. One set of researchers followed 211 men with low-, intermediate-, or high-risk prostate cancer who were participating in three prospective trials of image-guided proton therapy. The patients were followed for a minimum of 2 years. Read more

An MRI-Powered Robot Can Swim Through Your Guts, Gizmodo, By Jamie Condliffe, January 16, 2012. If you’ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing endoscopy, you’ll think there must be a better way to check out your insides than having a camera shoved up your ass. Now there is, and it’s robotic! Let’s get the best news over to you first: it’s also small. Phew. In fact, the little robot, referred to as a “microswimmer”, is the size of a large pill. Developed by researchers from Tel Aviv University in Israel and Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston, the little guy is made of copper and flexible polymer. Read more

There is already very promising research underway, particularly with PET (positron emission tomography) imaging. A study published in the Archives of Neurology found that PET “may help identify findings in brain tissue associated with Alzheimer’s disease.” Innovative new PET imaging agents are under development that have the promise of early diagnosis, which will help facilitate research into Alzheimer’s disease drug treatments.