Week in Review: Inflection point for CTC | COVID-19 anniversary | AI and incident vertebral fractures

Mar 14, 2025

Dear AuntMinnie Member,

The 2024 decision by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to finally begin reimbursement of CT colonography (CTC) for colorectal cancer screening was one of the biggest stories in radiology last year. And CTC is now at an “inflection point”, according to our most highly viewed article of last week.

Radiology experienced lasting change as a result of COVID-19. Our report on the five-year anniversary of the pandemic was next on our list of most popular articles.

In the third spot, a group recently concluded that AI could boost detection of incident fractures on chest CT, offering an alternative to dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA).

Also, a new survey confirmed that pediatric radiology continues to be hampered by a workforce shortage. And researchers have determined that practice expenses accounted for in total Medicare reimbursement for radiology services aren’t at the level they should be.

In cancer screening developments, photon-counting CT technology was shown to reduce dose on lung cancer screening exams. Perhaps not surprisingly, low cancer screening detection rates were found among the unhoused. And contrast-enhanced mammography was judged to be a suitable screening modality for breast cancer screening.

See the list below for all of our top stories from the week.