As imaging centers convert their workflow to capitalize on the benefits of digital mammography, some radiologists are concerned about the possibility of an increase in the number of patients recalled. Discrepancies between prior screen-film exams and current digital images lead many radiologists to act "better safe than sorry" in their diagnostic interpretation of full-field digital mammography images.
Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in adult women. One woman in 11 will contract the disease during her lifetime. The primary goal of treatment is cure, through surgery either alone or in combination with radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. Surgical management options include breast conservation, mastectomy, and palliative treatment.
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A recent advisory by the FDA urging breast imaging facilities to ensure compatibility between full-field digital mammography systems and PACS exposed an ongoing problem: Interoperability issues persist as some vendors fail to comply with healthcare digital imaging standards.
FDG-PET/CT's power for staging and restaging breast cancer is attracting attention. It could also detect recurrence in more than two-thirds of these patients and change the management plan in up to a third, according to German investigators.
The FDA is considering a national registry for thermal ablation treatment of breast cancer. The proposed registry would compile information on all thermal ablation devices and therapies for small carcinomas and address inconsistencies that potentially diminish the value of previously published feasibility protocols.
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Women with diagnostic mammograms flagged as probably benign usually undergo short-interval follow-up. But at 12 months, this second look may not boost cancer detection.
It is a safe bet that conventional mammography will give way to 3D imaging and other advanced technologies in the not-too-distant future. The gamble lies in picking which technology will emerge the clear winner as the primary screening tool for breast cancer: digital breast tomosynthesis or dedicated breast CT.
Now that computer-aided detection has become part of routine clinical work for cancer screening in mammograms and is being applied in the differential diagnosis of cancer in the lung and colon, it's only a matter of time before it rates as the standard of care for diagnostic examinations in daily clinical work.
Temporal subtractions and nodule detection are the most common computer-aided detection systems available. Until recently, however, no report has described these CAD routines being integrated into PACS.
The rate of decline in breast cancer rates over the past decade has been smaller among African American women than the general population, despite improved screening techniques.
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The feasibility of hub-and-spoke mammography, in which breast imaging studies are performed at satellite centers and read at a centralized reading station, has been confirmed through an evaluation of 30,000 cases and three years of clinical experience. The Columbia University study finds the transmission and interpretation of digital mammography exams to and from a remote location through commercially available high-speed cable Internet access is safe, reliable, and cost-effective.
A national registry for thermal ablation treatment for breast cancer is under consideration by the FDA. The agency opened a six-month public comment period this week on the proposed registry, which would compile information on all thermal ablation devices and therapies for small carcinomas.
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omputer-aided detection and diag-nosis tools were showcased at the European Congress of Radiology's "ESR meets Germany" session. Speakers highlighted four key clinical areas where advances could make a real difference to diagnostic decision making.
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Computer-aided detection may lend an extra punch to the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism with multislice and dual-energy CT scanners. Studies by French and German researchers have shown it helps detect small, hard-to-spot clots lodged in the lungs' periphery.
A clinical study to determine computer-aided detection’s value to CT colonography could save manufacturers time and money by speeding up the regulatory approval process. If proven successful, the approach could save thousands of lives each year by enhancing early colorectal cancer detection.
Computer-aided detection schemes for breast MR imaging have shown plenty of promise, but they always fall short of full automation and lesion characterization. Two recent studies, however, suggest CAD for breast MRI may be closing in on true cancer detection.
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Nearly 30,000 cases and three years of experience have confirmed that the transmission and interpretation of digital mammography exams to and from a remote location through commercially available high-speed cable Internet access is feasible, safe, reliable, and cost-effective, according to a Columbia University study.
