Dear AuntMinnie Member,
Despite CT's versatility in imaging many parts of the body, it has never really caught on for breast imaging, due in large measure to concerns over radiation dose and cost relative to mammography. But Italian researchers believe that MDCT could play a role in certain aspects of breast imaging, according to an article by staff writer Kate Madden Yee that we're featuring in our Women's Imaging Digital Community.
The study evaluated the effectiveness of a low-dose MDCT technique in differentiating breast lesions originally found on mammography or ultrasound scans. The researchers found that breast MDCT had some advantages over breast MRI, another adjunctive breast imaging modality.
Find out what they are by clicking here, or visit the Women's Imaging Digital Community at womens.auntminnie.com.
VC reimbursement
In other news, momentum is building in the U.S. to establish nationwide Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement for virtual colonoscopy.
A group of medical societies, including the American College of Radiology, today announced that they had sent a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services informing CMS that there is sufficient clinical evidence to support virtual colonoscopy payments.
The letter cites recent clinical research, as well as the inclusion of virtual colonoscopy in screening guidelines from the American Cancer Society, as evidence that the technology is ready for reimbursement prime-time. Click here to learn more.
In other VC news, investigators from Korea report that thinner CT slices are far more important for lesion detection than low noise, which had very little effect on sensitivity. Click here to read the article, or visit our Virtual Colonoscopy Digital Community at vc.auntminnie.com.
