Dear Molecular Imaging Insider,
This issue of the Insider offers an exclusive first look at a new study that supports the growing body of evidence for PET/MRI's efficacy in oncology. Researchers in Germany have found that simultaneous PET/MRI more than adequately located and characterized liver lesions, providing greater lesion conspicuity than PET/CT.
"The inherent soft-tissue contrast coupled with the higher spatial resolution of MRI is the main advantage over PET/CT, providing the overall higher conspicuity of liver lesions," lead author Dr. Karsten Beiderwellen told AuntMinnie.com. Learn more about the findings in this edition's Insider Exclusive, available to you before our other AuntMinnie.com members.
Also, we spoke with three molecular imaging experts during last month's World Molecular Imaging Society annual meeting and gathered their insights on the many challenges facing the field. Read how molecular imaging has vast potential to improve healthcare in the coming years by allowing more directed, personalized therapy. However, that contribution may be limited until more imaging specialists are trained to interpret scans acquired with the new types of tracers being developed.
In other news, the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) has concluded that evidence supporting the efficacy of beta-amyloid PET for Alzheimer's disease is still lacking. Lead author Dr. Steven Pearson, ICER founder and president, and colleagues wrote there are "extremely limited data" to demonstrate beta-amyloid PET's utility.
The ICER piece coincidentally came just a few days after the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued a final decision upholding its July position on PET reimbursement. The agency stated there is not enough evidence to conclude that beta-amyloid PET is "reasonable and necessary" for diagnosing or treating dementia or neurodegenerative disease.
Still, in a study published in JAMA Neurology, PET scans using the Pittsburgh Compound B (PiB) radiopharmaceutical showed a potential link between poor sleep and greater beta-amyloid accumulation, which could lead to Alzheimer's disease in older adults. The association between poor sleep quality and duration and beta-amyloid buildup was evident after researchers excluded participants with mild cognitive impairment or dementia, and it was also seen in subgroups with high or low PiB levels.
Researchers have also found that elderly people with hardening of the arteries are more likely to have beta-amyloid plaque in the brain detected by PET, even if they show no signs of dementia or Alzheimer's disease, according to a study published in Neurology. Arterial stiffness was greatest among people with both increased beta-amyloid deposits and white-matter hyperintensities or lesions in the brain, both of which contribute to the development of dementia.
Be sure to stay in touch with the Molecular Imaging Digital Community on a daily basis to keep up with the latest news and research. Also, watch for our RSNA preview in November to learn about noteworthy scientific papers scheduled for presentation at this year's meeting.
