Dear AuntMinnie Member,
Proponents of CT lung cancer screening are celebrating the publication of a new study that shows screening is good economic value in Medicare-aged individuals.
Researchers found that CT screening of current and former heavy smokers was more cost-effective than several other screening exams already being paid for by Medicare. The findings are especially significant as the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) mulls whether to move ahead with payment for the exams -- which would constitute a major new benefit.
CT proponents hope the new study will offset the negative review that CT lung cancer screening received in April in a highly controversial meeting of the Medicare Evidence Development and Coverage Advisory Committee. Many imaging specialists believe that meeting was unfairly stacked against CT screening.
A final decision is expected from CMS in November, and in all likelihood more research on the issue will be forthcoming. Learn more about the new study by clicking here.
Calcium predicts heart disease
In other news in CT, measurements of coronary artery calcium (CAC) as derived from CT scans beat out two other predictors of future cardiovascular events in individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD), according to new results from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).
Researchers found that CAC levels were more accurate than both carotid intima-media thickness and ankle-brachial index in determining which patients might develop cardiovascular disease in the future. Physicians had been concerned that the different calcium-phosphate metabolism in individuals with CKD might confound CAC measurements, but that apparently wasn't the case with the MESA cohort.
Instead, the researchers found that coronary calcium measurement as a predictive tool worked about as well in people with kidney disease as it did in the general population. Learn more about this study by clicking here, or visit our CT Digital Community at ct.auntminnie.com.
Breast tomo approval
U.S. breast imaging specialists now have another option for performing digital breast tomosynthesis exams after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the second system for the U.S. market last week. Learn more by clicking here, or visit our Women's Imaging Digital Community at women.auntminnie.com.
