Dear AuntMinnie Member,
PET/CT has repeatedly demonstrated its superiority to SPECT for a variety of oncology applications, and now the hybrid modality is making inroads in the heart as well, according to a presentation at this week's American College of Cardiology (ACC) meeting in San Diego.
Researchers from Utah compared PET/CT to myocardial perfusion imaging with SPECT to assess patients with heart conditions. They found that PET/CT had an edge in sensitivity, and it also outstripped SPECT by far in specificity, or the ability to ensure that individuals are free of disease. Learn more about the study by clicking here.
In other ACC news, researchers from Scotland found that coronary CT angiography (CCTA) is an accurate tool for diagnosing individuals with chest pain. CCTA can help physicians not only treat patients who might be at risk of heart attacks, but also stop treatment for those who aren't -- thus avoiding overdiagnosis. Get more details by clicking here.
Finally, the big Prospective Multicenter Imaging Study for Evaluation of Chest Pain (PROMISE) is also generating headlines from ACC 2015. PROMISE is a multicenter study of 10,000 patients that compared CCTA to functional tests for patients with symptoms of heart disease. Find out what the researchers discovered by clicking here.
Mammo techs are key
ACC 2015 isn't the only conference going on this week, however. The National Consortium of Breast Centers (NCoBC) meeting in Las Vegas is also in full swing, and we're featuring an article on the proceedings in our Women's Imaging Community.
In a March 16 presentation, Terry Bucknall, director of women's imaging services at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital's Sheila R. Veloz Breast Center in Valencia, CA, discussed the evolution of mammography technologists and their growing role in providing quality patient care.
Mammography technologists have evolved to become far more than just "button pushers," Bucknall believes, and they are now responsible for troubleshooting PACS and RIS networks, data collection and reporting, and other duties. Learn more by clicking here.
Imaging volumes dip again
Finally, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) last week released new data that indicate that the volume of imaging services provided to Medicare beneficiaries dropped 1% from 2012 to 2013. It may not sound like much, but it marks the fourth straight year that imaging volume has fallen in the Medicare system.
This ought to be good news to Medicare administrators, right? You would think so, but the MedPAC report instead chose to emphasize the growth of imaging volume over the past decade -- indicating that the agency may still have medical imaging in its crosshairs. Read more by clicking here.
