Mammography

Toshiba installs five CV labs at Borgess Brachytherapy provider to distribute argetScan Optical imaging probes enter biomedical market FDA releases list of imaging opportunities Cardiac agent moves to next phase Module builder unveils transportable MR facilities Volcano files for IPO Terason signs with Premier PET/CT, preclinical systems debut at AMI MR Instruments appoints new COO North American Scientific readies launch of breast initiative ScImage and Excribe partner Film prices climb drastically NEMA exec nears career end Cedara readies advanced orthopedic software Fischer faces end of the line Mammography volume inches upward Outpatient provider bags $161 million in credit Siemens unveils upgrades at AIUM meeting Del Global names VP Emageon recruits new COO IT developers partner in orthopedics Positron woos Canada SonoSite prevails in patent case

Capitalizing on the momentum generated by advances in human genomic research, the National Cancer Institute has launched an initiative to identify genetic alterations that make people susceptible to prostate and breast cancer.

Modern imaging has a ways to go before it can replace breast biopsy. A study conducted by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality indicates that currently available noninvasive imaging methods fall short of the accuracy needed to determine conclusively whether a lesion is cancerous.

Options for image-guided procedures in the breast have expanded considerably over the past 20 years. A variety of modalities are now being used to perform diagnostic, localization, and therapeutic interventional procedures for breast disease.

Acquiring information about mammography procedures is one thing. Using that information in a report and follow-up is something else. That's where programs like MagView come in. The mammography information system can be configured with integrated scheduling, billing, radiology reporting, transcription, patient tracking, management reporting, and equipment quality control.

Released in late January, Fusion Matrix PACS version 2.1 introduces reading enhancements, including the ability to query and retrieve studies from third-party DICOM sources, reserve studies, and mark studies as preliminary. Other new tools include triangulation, which lets the user define a target point on an image to view the corresponding anatomic position in other series.

Upgrades and enhancements for digital mammography systems are good news for women’s health practitioners who have already invested in the next stage of mammography. But those still contemplating the move to digital technology are beginning to consider alternatives.

Computer-aided detection has carved out a role in the last few years as a tool for flagging subtle lesions that have the characteristics of cancer. As demonstrated by new products at the 2005 RSNA meeting, CAD is expanding its scope to find abnormalities or alterations in anatomy that may call for a change in the management of patients.

Prospective buyers of digital mammography equipment got a warning at the 2005 RSNA meeting: Watch out when comparing images from equipment made by different vendors.

All year long, we at Diagnostic Imaging write about important radiology issues. You might think that by the time the RSNA meeting rolls around, we would have covered just about everything. Well, in a sense, we have. But the reality is that the "big show" never ceases to amaze us. Each year, forecasted trends don't materialize, surprise trends sneak up, and the usual number of boom and bust predictions either boom... or bust.

The merits of screening mammography have again become a subject of debate following new research suggesting that breast cancer surgery speeds up disease progression in young women. The study's authors recommend that breast screening consent forms include the risk of accelerated tumor growth and early relapse.

The clinical trial numbers may be small, but the ambitions of one new technology-breast tomosynthesis-were nevertheless larger than life at the RSNA meeting. While many of the breast imaging papers showcased refinements to relatively new techniques, breast tomosynthesis stood out by promising a revolution.

Interest in digital mammography was strong on the 2005 RSNA exhibit floor, driven at least in part by positive results from the Digital Mammographic Imaging Screening Trial, whose results were announced 10 weeks prior to the start of the meeting. A few doors down from the prospective buyers crowding exhibitor booths, however, early adopters of the equipment were sounding an alarm.

As computer-aided detection continues to make inroads into virtual colonoscopy territory, studies presented at the 2005 RSNA meeting highlighted its potential for spotting polyps.

R2 Technology is leveraging knowledge gained in developing computer-aided detection to make products easier and more efficient to use.

Digital breast tomosynthesis promises to dramatically reduce the rate of false-positive mammograms, potentially sparing women from unnecessary follow-up tests and biopsies, according to a study presented at the RSNA meeting.

R2 Technology is making machines smarter and, in the process, easing the transition to digital mammography.

Digital mammography cleared a substantial hurdle earlier this year, when researchers established its clinical advantages in women under 50 and in those with dense breasts. Now, with demand for digital already on the rise, the technology faces another obstacle: image integration and workstation interoperability.

The volume of breast biopsies performed on Medicare beneficiaries has soared in recent years, and radiologists have taken the lion’s share of the utilization growth, according to a study presented at the RSNA meeting on Wednesday.

Digital mammography images acquired in a 64-foot van serving Washington residents are as good as mobile film-based images, according to a study from a Seattle breast center.

An upgrade to the computer-aided detection product line from R2 Technology gives users a choice of operating points to set different sensitivity/false marker rates for microcalcifications and masses in the breast. The enhanced system allows users to set sensitivity to their own comfort levels, providing unprecedented flexibility, according to the company.

Digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) promises to dramatically reduce the rate of false-positive mammograms, potentially sparing women from unnecessary follow-up tests and biopsies, according to a study presented Tuesday.

As computer-aided detection continues to make inroads into virtual colonoscopy territory, studies presented Tuesday at the RSNA meeting highlighted its potential for spotting polyps.

A new phase-contrast CR mammography system that magnifies edge effects from x-ray refraction is sharpening contrast at the edges of the breast. The system, unveiled today at the RSNA meeting, also enhances the visualization of microcalcifications and fibrils within the breast, according to representatives from Konica Minolta.