Dear AuntMinnie Member,
Can patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) be safely discharged after a normal coronary CT angiography (CCTA) scan? New research indicates they can.
In a study of more than 1,200 individuals, researchers from Thomas Jefferson University tested the hypothesis that CCTA scans could be used to rule out pathology in low- and intermediate-risk patients without fear of major adverse cardiac events.
Not only were rates of major cardiac events low one year after patient discharge, but individuals in the CCTA group didn't require additional resources compared to those who received traditional care. Learn more by clicking here.
In other news in our CT Community, a new study indicates that CT lung cancer screening can cause distress in those who are being screened. The findings are a disturbing echo of the same debate going on in breast cancer screening over the emotional impact of imaging exams. Learn more by clicking here, or visit the community at ct.auntminnie.com.
DCIS rates grow with age
While we're on the subject of breast screening, a new study is focusing on ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) -- breast lesions that are tricky to manage as they haven't yet developed into invasive cancer.
Experts have disagreed on how aggressively to treat DCIS, but the new study indicates that rates of high-grade DCIS -- which can develop into cancer more aggressively -- increase in older women on mammography screening. Read more by clicking here, or go to our Women's Imaging Community at women.auntminnie.com.
