Dear AuntMinnie Member,
Several recent studies have found that radiologists viewing CT and MRI studies on an iPad achieve nearly the same diagnostic performance as when they're using a conventional PACS workstation. But how well do the tablet computers work for imaging exams with higher resolution, such as chest radiography?
Pretty well, according to a new study we're highlighting in our PACS Digital Community. Researchers from the University of Maryland gave radiologists iPads to read chest radiographs acquired to screen for tuberculosis, and then had them read the same studies on conventional LCD monitors.
The results showed high levels of agreement between both types of displays. Learn more by clicking here, or visit the PACS Digital Community at pacs.auntminnie.com.
CT lung screening biopsy protocol
In other news, researchers have reported on their development of a protocol for determining which CT lung screening patients should get biopsied when suspicious nodules are detected.
The research strikes at the heart of a major issue that could hold back the establishment of population-based CT lung screening programs: How much money and effort will be spent following up screen-detected lesions that might prove to be benign?
The researchers found that by applying several criteria, they could reduce the number of negative biopsies to what they felt were acceptable levels. Find out what those criteria are by clicking here, or go to our CT Digital Community at ct.auntminnie.com.
Brachytherapy for prostate cancer
Finally, new research released this week supports the use of brachytherapy to treat men with high-grade prostate cancer. Previous research indicated that the technique might be better served for men with low- and intermediate-grade disease, but the new study indicates that may no longer be the case.
The study tracked the use of prostate brachytherapy over 14 years, finding that men who received the treatment alone or in combination with conventional radiation therapy had lower mortality rates than those who received only radiation therapy. Learn more by clicking here, or visit the Radiation Oncology Digital Community at radiation.auntminnie.com.
