Publications & Research
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Because it’s noninvasive and doesn’t require anesthesia, CT postprocessing offers significant advantages over the gold standard of bronchoscopy for evaluating pediatric airways. Yet there are even more benefits, according to an article published recently in Pediatric Radiology.
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The use of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for gynecologic cancers is increasing, but outcomes data are still lacking. An article published in the March issue of Gynecologic Oncology about the outcomes of high-risk endometrial cancer patients adds to the literature and brings positive news.
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Using a surface-based MRI method to measure cortical thickness, Italian researchers have found that migraine headaches may be related to brain abnormalities present at birth and other abnormalities that develop over time, according to a study published online in Radiology.
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Complete implementation of the CT screening protocol used in the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) could avert 12,250 deaths annually in the U.S., according to a study published online Feb. 25 in CANCER.
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PET/CT predicts response to endorectal radiotherapy
February 2013PET/CT results can predict which patients will respond to high-dose-rate endorectal brachytherapy for stage II and III rectal cancer, according to a study presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium. The results could pave the way for easier treatments and better outcomes.
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California researchers who examined more than 12,000 children who had blunt abdominal trauma have identified seven factors that necessitate a CT scan in the emergency department, according to a study in the Annals of Emergency Medicine.
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Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have developed a new MRI technique to help differentiate between Alzheimer’s disease and another type of dementia. The study findings were published in Neurology.
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A model combining clinical information with MR imaging, fluorine 18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET, and cerebrospinal fluid markers yielded the highest accuracy for predicting future mild cognitive impairment conversion; however, the most efficient model included only FDG PET with the clinical covariates.
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Functional MR Imaging May Help Detect Subtle Brain Connectivity Abnormalities in Patients with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
December 2012Resting-state functional brain MR imaging demonstrates variations in default-mode network connectivity patterns in patients with mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI). In a study of 23 patients and 18 control subjects, Zhou and colleagues found significantly reduced connectivity in the posterior cingulate cortex and parietal regions and increased frontal connectivity around the medial prefrontal cortex in patients with MTBI.
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Men with high-risk prostate cancer had a significantly lower risk of biochemical relapse when treated with adjuvant radiation therapy after radical prostatectomy, results of a large randomized trial showed.
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Head CT for Nontrauma Patients in the Emergency Department: Clinical Predictors of Abnormal Findings
December 2012This study identified several potential clinical predictors of abnormal head CT findings in ED patients who did not sustain trauma.
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3-D Imaging Improves Breast Cancer Detection
November 2012A recently developed 3-D imaging technique called stereoscopic digital mammography enables physicians to better visualize abnormal breast tissue.
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The total Medicare CT utilization rate increased each year from 325 per 1,000 in 2000 to 637 per 1,000 in 2009, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.8%. But in 2010, the rate dropped for the first time, to 626 per 1,000 (−1.7%).
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Adding an MRI exam to the initial clinical evaluation of men thought to have low-risk prostate cancer can help identify which of them are the best candidates for active surveillance, according to study findings published online Oct. 3 in the Journal of Urology.
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DWI-MRI helps reduce false-positive breast MRI scans
October 2012Combining diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI-MRI) with dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI to calculate apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values could decrease false-positive findings in breast MRI and reduce preventable biopsies, according to a new study published online on October 2 in Radiology.
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Imaging not the main driver of rising Medicare costs
September 2012For several years, policymakers in Washington have singled out imaging scans as one of the main drivers of U.S. health care costs. But a new study published this month in the Journal of the American College of Radiology reveals just the opposite: medical imaging costs have dropped significantly in recent years.
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Breast Cancer screening saves lives, new study shows
September 2012Women who undergo screening halve their risk of dying from breast cancer, a new study from the University of Melbourne has found.
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Outside of a clinical trial, the receipt of radiation therapy after conservative surgery was associated with a greater likelihood of ultimate breast preservation for most older women with early breast cancer.
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Spectral mammography used during breast screening can measure tissue density with high accuracy — potentially improving the assessment of breast cancer risk…
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A tool based on American College of Cardiology (ACC) criteria has been shown to increase the number of appropriate cardiac imaging exams and reduce inappropriate ones, according to a study by researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College and several other U.S. institutions…
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We evaluated outcomes of patients 65 years old and older who underwent CT colonography (CTC) between 2004 and 2009…
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The primary aims of this multicenter study were to evaluate patient experience and satisfaction with CTC screening and compare preference against screening colonoscopy…
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In this study scientists used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to measure brain volume in 6-month-olds at high familial risk for autism…
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Colon screening by optical colonoscopy (OC) or computed tomographic colonography (CTC) requires a laxative bowel preparation, which inhibits screening participation. This study assesses the performance of detecting adenomas 6 mm or larger and patient experience of laxative-free, computer-aided CTC. This study is a prospective test comparison of laxative-free CTC and OC…
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The purpose of this study is to evaluate the positive predictive values (PPVs) of Breast Imaging and Reporting Data Systems (BI-RADS) assessment categories for breast magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and to identify the BI-RADS MR imaging lesion features most predictive of cancer…
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Scientists used a functional magnetic resonance imaging scanner to see what parts of the brain responded most strongly when people talked about their own beliefs and options, indicating that self-disclosure triggers the same sensation of pleasure in the brain as food or money…
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Use of a Dedicated Pediatric CT Imaging Service Associated With Decreased Patient Radiation Dose
May 2012The aim of this study was to determine whether the relocation of pediatric radiologic services from a combined high-volume pediatric and adult hospital to a children’s hospital improves compliance with adjusted lower CT exposure parameters and thus the estimated effective dose of radiation delivered to pediatric patients…
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This study looks at mammography screening starting at age 40 versus 50 years with different screening methods (film, digital) and screening intervals (annual, biennial)…
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Study: PET predicts survival from sarcomas
April 2012A PET scan after the first round of neoadjuvant chemotherapy can predict increased survival in patients with soft-tissue sarcomas, according to a study published April 1 in Clinical Cancer Research, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR).
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This study found that a CCTA-based strategy for low-to-intermediate-risk patients presenting with a possible acute coronary syndrome appears to allow the safe, expedited discharge from the emergency department of many patients who would otherwise be admitted.
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Computed tomography (CT) has become the predominant test for diagnosing acute appendicitis in adults. In children and young adults, exposure to CT radiation is of particular concern. We evaluated the rate of negative (unnecessary) appendectomy after low-dose versus standard-dose abdominal CT in young adults with suspected appendicitis…
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The addition of screening ultrasound or MRI to mammography in women at increased risk of breast cancer resulted in not only a higher cancer detection yield but also an increase in false-positive findings…
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Lung cancer screening is not established as a public health practice, yet the results of a recent large randomized controlled trial showed that screening with low-dose spiral computed tomography reduces lung cancer mortality…
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Results from this study suggest that commercial insurers should consider lung cancer screening of high-risk individuals to be high-value coverage and provide it as a benefit to people who are at least fifty years old and have a smoking history of thirty pack-years or more.
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A new study led by researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine indicates that CT scans are more effective than traditional lung cancer detection methods at identifying aggressive lung cancers in their most treatable stages…
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Women aged 40–49 years with breast cancer detected with mammography were diagnosed at an earlier stage than possible without mammography…
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In this study, we aimed to prospectively validate the CT-angiography (CTA) spot sign for prediction of haematoma expansion…
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The objectives of this study were to examine the effective dose range and the test–retest reliability of florbetapir F 18 using, first, visual assessment by independent raters masked to clinical information and, second, semiautomated quantitative measures of cortical target area to cerebellum standardized uptake value ratios (SUVr) as primary outcome measures…
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Arnold School study: Training black physicians to do colonoscopies may reduce colon cancer deaths
March 2012According to a study by researchers at the Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina and published in the journal, Cancer, training more African-American primary care physicians to do colonoscopies could improve access and help reduce colorectal cancer disparities…
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The structure of the brain as a product of morphogenesis is difficult to reconcile with the observed complexity of cerebral connectivity. We therefore analyzed relationships of adjacency and crossing between cerebral fiber pathways in four nonhuman primate species and in humans by using diffusion magnetic resonance imaging…
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CT/CT Angiography and MRI Findings Predict Recurrent Stroke After Transient Ischemic Attack and Minor Stroke
February 2012Transient ischemic attack and minor stroke portend a substantial risk of recurrent stroke. MRI can identify patients at high risk for a recurrent stroke. However, MRI is not commonly available as an emergency. If similarly clinically predictive, a CT/CT angiographic (CTA) imaging strategy would be more widely applicable…
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In the National Polyp Study (NPS), colorectal cancer was prevented by colonoscopic removal of adenomatous polyps. We evaluated the long-term effect of colonoscopic polypectomy in a study on mortality from colorectal cancer…
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Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is essential for the preoperative staging of endometrial cancer because it can accurately depict the depth of myometrial invasion, which is the most important morphologic prognostic factor and correlates with tumor grade, presence of lymph node metastases, and overall patient survival…
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A Framework for Assessing the Value of Diagnostic Imaging in the Era of Comparative Effectiveness Research
December 2011In June 2009, the Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research submitted a report to the President and Congress in which the Council described the purpose of comparative effectiveness research (CER) as developing evidence-based information for interventions and determining under what circumstances an intervention is effective…
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Mammography Screening and Risk of Breast Cancer Death: A Population-Based Case–Control Study
December 2011Women who receive at least three screening mammograms have a 49% lower risk of dying from breast cancer, according to a new study released online today in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR).
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The CT-STAT (Coronary Computed Tomographic Angiography for Systematic Triage of Acute Chest Pain Patients to Treatment) Trial
September 2011This study found that in emergency department acute, low-risk chest pain patients, the use of CCTA results in more rapid and cost-efficient safe diagnosis than rest-stress MPI.
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CT use in the ED has increased significantly in recent years across a broad range of presenting complaints. The increase has been associated with a decline in admissions or transfers after CT use, although this effect has stabilized more recently…
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This study found that screening with the use of low-dose CT reduces mortality from lung cancer.
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The rate of increase of longevity has varied considerably across U.S. states since 1991. This paper examines the effect of the quality of medical care, behavioral risk factors (obesity, smoking, and AIDS incidence), and other variables (education, income, and health insurance coverage) on life expectancy and medical expenditure using longitudinal state-level data…
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A routine mammogram checking for breast cancer may predict the future development of heart disease, according to a study in Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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Consequences of axillary ultrasound in patients with T2 or greater invasive breast cancers
January 2011This study found that ultrasonography has yielded savings of more than $4,000 per patient by reducing the occurrence of unnecessary, invasive breast cancer procedures.
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Cancer screening in the United States, 2011
January 2011Each year the American Cancer Society (ACS) publishes a summary of its recommendations for early cancer detection, a report on data and trends in cancer screening rates, and select issues related to cancer screening…
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Researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City say MRI is useful in determining the anatomic origin of uterine cancer and also provides helpful information regarding invasion of adjacent structures, according to a study published online January 6 in Radiology.
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MRI can identify risk factors in patients with subacute knee symptoms that can lead to localized knee osteoarthritis 10 years later, according to a study published online in Radiology.
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Cardiovascular molecular imaging is a new discipline that integrates scientific advances in both functional imaging and molecular probes to improve our understanding of the molecular basis of the cardiovascular system…
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The outcome measure we use is not subject to lead-time bias, and our measures of medical innovation are based on extensive data on treatments given to large numbers of patients with different types of cancer. We estimate difference-in-difference models of the age-adjusted cancer mortality rate using longitudinal, annual, cancer-site-level data on over 60 cancer sites…
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The accurate visualization of interventional devices is crucial for the safety and effectiveness of MRI-guided interventional procedures. In this paper, we introduce an improvement to the visualization of active devices. The key component is a fast, robust method (“CurveFind”) that reconstructs the three-dimensional trajectory of the device from projection images in a fraction of a second…
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Myocardial Fat Imaging
April 2010The presence of intramyocardial fat may form a substrate for arrhythmias, and fibrofatty infiltration of the myocardium has been shown to be associated with sudden death. Therefore, noninvasive detection could have high prognostic value…
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IIR GRAPPA for Parallel MR Image Reconstruction
February 2010Accelerated parallel MRI has advantage in imaging speed, and its image quality has been improved continuously in recent years…
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The Radiology Business Management Association (RBMA) conducted a survey of its members with freestanding/outpatient imaging centers to collect imaging equipment specific information in anticipation of possible actions to be taken by the United States Congress and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)…
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A public opinion survey released on the eve of President Obama’s Joint Address to Congress on health care shows that Americans recognize the value of medical imaging as a critical component of high-quality health care…
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Optimal Utilization Of Advanced Diagnostic Imaging Equipment: Principles and Implications
September 2009Basic tenets of operational research suggest that adopting MedPAC’s recommended 90% utilization factor would have significant negative consequences for patients…
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Study Demonstrates Significant Benefits of F-FDG PET in Evaluating Colorectal Liver Metastases
July 2009In a randomized multi-center study of 150 patients with colorectal liver metastases recommended for surgery, Ruers et al evaluated the benefits of F-FDG PET by comparing the utilization of F-FDG PET combined with CT to the utilization of CT alone for staging and developing surgical recommendations…
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In a multi-center study, Dr. Daniele Regge and her team examined a cohort of 937 patients, each of whom had one or more of the following three determining factors that may increase a patient’s susceptibility to colorectal cancer: the existence of advanced neoplasia in a first-degree relative, a personal history of colorectal adenoma, or a positive result from a fecal occult blood test (FOBT)…
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In his evaluation, Dr. Lichtenberg sought to determine the reach and effect of certain variables on life expectancy: the effect of the quality of medical care, behavioral risk factors (obesity, smoking, AIDS incidence), and other variables (education, income, and health insurance coverage) on life expectancy…
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In order to test whether the “more is better” hypothesis holds for diagnostic imaging, researchers examined the association between the use of inpatient diagnostic imaging services (CT, MR, ultrasound and x-ray) and three risk-adjusted hospital outcome measures: mortality, length of stay and total inpatient hospital costs…
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This study found that the addition of PET-CT to comprehensive evaluation of lung cancer can have significant clinical impact, including marked improvement in staging the disease, patients frequently spared unnecessary treatment and management more appropriately targeted.
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A recent study published in Cancer showed that fewer than 25% of average-risk Medicare beneficiaries undergo complete screening for colorectal cancer…
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CT Angiography Shown to Be Safe, Effective Screening Method for Ruling out Cardiovascular Disease
May 2009In the first long-term study to follow a large number of patients who have undergone emergency room computed tomography angiography (CTA), Dr. Judd Hollander and his team at the University of Pennsylvania tracked 481 patients for one year after receiving a negative scan (i.e., a scan that showed no serious coronary blockages or damage to the heart)…
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Breast Cancer Risk Assessment and MRI
April 2009Mammographic density is known to be a significant risk-factor in the development of breast cancer among middle-aged women, but little is known about its development early in life. In this cross-sectional study, researchers used MRI to measure breast water percentage, which is a proxy of breast density, in 400 mother-daughter pairs…
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The purpose of the study was to quantify the impact that ultrasound of the hands and feet have on rheumatologists’ diagnosis and diagnostic confidence and on patient management…
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Racial Disparity in Breast Cancer Types
March 2009Breast cancer is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous disease, varying substantially in incidence and mortality according to race/ethnicity. To better understand the clinical and pathological features associated with breast cancer, researchers at the Boston University Medical Center created a database of all invasive breast cancer patients seen at their institution…
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CT screening catches small cell lung cancers earlier
February 2009In one of the largest studies yet to focus on a rare type of lung cancer, radiologists from Columbia University in New York City found that CT screening and treatment when indicated may spare the lives of patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC).
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Benefits of ROE and DS System on Outpatient Imaging
February 2009In 2008, researchers from the University of Florida Health Center and Massachusetts General Hospital sought to determine the effect certain appropriateness criteria measures – specifically a computerized radiology entry (ROE) and decision support (DS) system – might have on the growth rates of outpatient CT, magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, and ultrasonography (US) procedures over time…
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Cost Impact of Early Colorectal Cancer Detection
February 2009A recent study published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology provided an in-depth analysis of long-term and phase-specific treatment costs related to colorectal cancer (CRC)…
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High-Dose-Rate Brachytherapy in the Curative Treatment of Patients With Localized Prostate Cancer
December 2008High-dose-rate brachytherapy is a relatively new radiotherapeutic intervention that is used as a curative treatment for patients with many types of cancer. Advances in mechanical systems and computer applications result in a sophisticated treatment technique that reliably delivers a high-quality radiation dose distribution to the intended target…
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We previously reported aggregate data showing that PET was associated with a change in intended management for over one third of patients participating in the National Oncologic PET Registry (NOPR). Here, we present results for specific cancer types and indications for testing…
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In this study of asymptomatic adults, CT colonographic screening identified 90% of subjects with adenomas or cancers measuring 10 mm or more in diameter. These findings augment published data on the role of CT colonography in screening patients with an average risk of colorectal cancer.
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The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of electrocardiographically gated 64-multidetector row coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) in individuals without known coronary artery disease (CAD)…
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This model estimated that ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy increased the correct classification of thyroid malignancies from 92% with conventional biopsy to 98%, and was a cost-effective strategy at $318 per additional cancer case that was correctly diagnosed.
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Positron emission tomography (PET) is widely used in clinical oncology as one of the most impactful and effective means of diagnostic imaging methodology. However, Medicare reimbursement for PET scanning is currently only approved by the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) for nine (9) specific oncology tumor types…
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This review demonstrates that FDG-PET (a form of PET/CT) can detect a tumor’s response to radiation or chemotherapy within three to four weeks post-treatment, making it possible to more quickly modify therapy regimens and increase treatment effectiveness.
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With 250,000 surgeries per year, acute appendicitis is the most common indication for emergency abdominal surgery in the United States. It’s also one of the most difficult to diagnose…
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The purpose of this study was to determine long-term outcomes in patients receiving stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) as a boost after external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) for locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC)…
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This study found that MRI is highly accurate in diagnosing meniscal and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears and it is the most appropriate screening tool before therapeutic arthroscopy.
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The study found that using CCTA as a gate-keeper for catheterization reduces costs by $1,454, a savings of nearly 50%. The results held true within a wide range of assumptions—when higher costs for scanning are assumed, and/or lower costs for catheterization, and/or more patients going on to catheterization than the study shows, large cost savings still result…
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Clinical Impact of Integrated PET/CT on the Management of Suspected Cervical Cancer Recurrence
March 2007This study found that in patients with a suspected recurrence of cervical cancer, integrated PET/CT using (18)F-FDG provides good anatomic and functional localization of suspicious lesions, and the better diagnostic interpretation has an impact not only on clinical management and treatment planning of patients, but also on disease-free survival.
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This editorial demonstrates that a growing number of newly diagnosed breast cancer patients are also benefiting from MRI evaluation to determine whether their cancer has spread throughout the breast tissue (multi-centric) or is localized in one particular area, allowing patients and physicians to make better therapy choices (e.g., breast conserving surgery vs. radical surgery) and reduce patients’ fear of recurrence from cancerous tissue missed in the initial diagnostic assessment.
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This review demonstrates that, given that chemotherapy or chemo-radio¬therapy prior to surgical tumor resection only improves survival for a small percentage of patients, PET/CT may also help reduce costs and unnecessary exposure to toxic therapies by helping physicians to efficiently identify patients who will respond to initial therapy.
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A Randomized Controlled Trial of Multi-Slice Coronary Computed Tomography for Evaluation of Acute Chest Pain
January 2007Multi-slice computed tomographic coronary angiography can definitively establish or exclude coronary disease as the cause of chest pain. However, inability to determine the physiological significance of intermediate severity coronary lesions and cases with inadequate image quality are present limitations…
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This study found that for stroke patients treated 3 to 6 hours after onset, baseline MRI findings can identify subgroups that are likely to benefit from reperfusion therapies and can potentially identify subgroups that are unlikely to benefit or may be harmed.
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This study found that endoscopic ultrasonography is an important standard of care for identifying and guiding rectal cancer patients who are candidates for pre-operative neoadjuvant therapy.
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This article demonstrated that ultrasound screening can identify children who have abnormal transcranial blood flow velocity (TBV) and who would benefit from transfusions to reduce the risk of stroke.
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Despite substantial increases in utilization of inpatient CT, MR imaging, and other imaging technologies, diagnostic imaging costs increased at approximately same rate as did total costs for inpatients with several diagnoses. CT and MR imaging do not appear to be driving the cost increases seen between 1996 and 2002…
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Screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm: a best-evidence systematic review for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
February 2005This analysis found that ultrasound screening can reduce mortality caused by a rupture of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA).
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This study found that ultrasound screening can also reduce mortality caused by a rupture of abdominal aortic aneurysms.
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Effect of Computed Tomography of the Appendix on Treatment of Patients and Use of Hospital Resources
January 1998In patients with clinically suspected appendicitis, computed tomography (CT) is diagnostically accurate. However, the effect of routine CT of the appendix on the treatment of such patients and the use of hospital resources is unknown…
Medical Imaging Community Rallies Against Device Tax
MITA and its industry partners, including AdvaMed and MDMA, are calling on Congress to pass bipartisan legislation that repeals the medical device tax in a new ad campaign. Learn More
MITA Urges Congress to Reject Reimbursement Cuts
MITA calls on policymakers to protect access to life saving medical imaging technologies. Learn More
Why I Joined Mita – Elekta
Hear from Rajinder Singh Dhada, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships, Elekta, on why his organization joined MITA.
