Mammography

Digital mammography is penetrating the marketplace at a rapid rate, with approximately 26% of facilities now having at least one full-field digital mammography system, according to the Mammography Quality Standards Act scorecard.

Every mammogram is different, and every patient is her own control. Mammographers are watching for changes over time. But the digital age has brought with it some challenges. Because each digital mammography vendor uses proprietary processing algorithms, it may be hard to distinguish pathology from actual differences in image quality that can occur when images are scaled up. Everything scales differently.

Radiologists must become more alert to the extensive range of health problems faced by patients who swallow fish bones, according to a thought-provoking poster from Spain that was one of eight international exhibits to scoop a prestigious Magna Cum Laude award in the vast RSNA 2007 poster hall on Wednesday afternoon.

Digital tomosynthesis detects more breast masses, better categorizes those masses, and produces lower callback rates than conventional mammography, according to research presented at the RSNA meeting. In a study of symptomatic patients, tomosynthesis was not superior to mammography, but a combination of the two techniques detected more carcinomas than either alone.

Vendors geared up for their biggest week of the year, jockeying for position with news about offerings, and hinting at what is yet to come. Digital mammography market to nearly double this year in U.S. Flat panels deliver more dose than image intensifiers R&D seeks stroke therapy with ultrasound microbubbles Commentary: The bumpy road to molecular imaging

Week in review:Heart disease and cancer news dominated.Feature stories: Acusphere preps novel ultrasound agent for FDA submission Cardiac IT morphs to handle images and patient data PET scans may clear path for noninvasive lung cancer treatment Contrast agent illuminates breast cancer with near-infrared light Commentary: Truth versus the frontal parietal network

An FDA advisory panel has voted to support a plan for mandatory accreditation for stereotactic breast biopsy under the Mammography Quality Standards Act program.

Siemens’ mammography system rolls through Vegas Infrared breast scanner appears on television talk showEuropeans apply special catheterMindray revenues boom in 3QMindray appoints new director

In the wake of the RSNA meeting, DI SCAN takes a closer look at the news underlying the announcements along with other noteworthy items.Siemens unveils interventional robotHitachi hopes to jumpstart demand for open MRiCAD sets course to build CAD salesCommentary: Implementing technology in stages

The deepening crisis, then sudden resolution of a medical isotope shortage brought drama, as a cryptic message from Agfa’s board of directors added mystery to the holiday season.Canadian reactor ramps up to renew supply of technetiumPhilips prepares to move into digital mammography“Care areas” characterize GE approach to ultrasound Siemens introduces new premium-class ultrasound scannerCommentary: Trouble-prone Chalk River haunts medical community: When will we learn?

Of the 6000 scientific abstracts submitted to the RSNA this year, four major areas dominate, according to Dr. Gerald Dodd III, chair of the RSNA's scientific program committee.

Information management for digital mammography is unlike that of any other imaging modality. It generates huge files and enormous amounts of imaging data, which must then be stored, transmitted, and displayed.

Digital mammography and general radiography developed from the same x-ray root, but mammography has veered off, driven by a need to meet clinical demands for low radiation exposure and high image quality.

A 10-year study of imaging volume demands on a PACS at the Medical University of South Carolina shows how significant a factor multislice CT has become in image data storage.

The live audience for Diagnostic Imaging’s Netseminar “Emerging Trends in Breast Ultrasound” had a number of questions for the faculty. Below, Dr. William Svensson responds to their queries:

Imaging threats-some averted, others coming or at hand-punctuated the week.Features: CT took it on the chin during the first half of 2000, creating what one exec called the “toughest period in the industry for a decade.” It’s not looking good for Slovakia-or the rest of Europe, for that matter-as the Old World braces for fallout from a European directive that threatens to bring MR imaging to a standstill. The U.S. imaging community dodged a bullet, as Congress reauthorized the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. A pending “Medicare Severity DRG” could give CT vendors a shot in the arm, as hospital administrators look for ways to ensure that staff diagnose patients within the first 24 hours of admittance.

Small-field-of-view positron imaging, optimized for breast cancer detection, is jockeying for position among several adjuncts to x-ray mammography. A proponent of the technology, Dr. Kathy Schilling, believes it has an edge over MRI.

I read Greg Freiherr's column "Why the NEJM study on CAD is wrong" on your website. Please always keep in mind the following about computer-aided detection:

Some years ago, we converted everything but mammography to PACS. It was the best move our department ever made. Recently, we finished the change by converting to digital mammography. I've had more fun at funerals.

Ziehm, BrainLab extend allianceToshiba chooses Plasmon archive for storageMatrox boosts mammo display

Doppler ultrasound breast tumor exams conducted prior to chemotherapy can reliably predict the outcome of treatment, according to research conducted in India. Most breast cancer is treated with chemotherapy prior to surgery. The traditional way to assess the success of this chemotherapy is to study tissue samples collected at surgery. In this study, researchers developed a scoring method using Doppler ultrasound to predict chemotherapy success.

Both ultrasound alone and ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy of lymph nodes are reliable ways to stage invasive lobular carcinoma, a form of breast cancer occurring in only 10% to 15% of cases. Although preoperative assessment can be quite challenging with this cancer, research from the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston found ultrasound to be as effective for staging invasive lobular carcinoma as it is for the more common invasive ductal carcinoma.

Hologic sets vote on Cytyc mergerRADinfo launches DICOMmail Ultrasonix signs distributor

Medical organization nixes CT lung screeningAnalysts predict boom in breast disease managementForesight digitizes legacy scanners

Cedara turns I-ReadMammo into plug-inResearch highlights benefits of CT colonographyPatient Comfort pads MR breast biopsies