Dear AuntMinnie Member,
Previous research indicates that breast ultrasound could have value as a screening adjunct for women with dense breasts, significantly boosting the sensitivity of x-ray mammography. But could breast ultrasound screening turn out to be too much of a good thing?
It just might, according to an article by associate editor Kate Madden Yee that we're featuring in our Women's Imaging Digital Community. The story profiles a new law in Connecticut that requires women to be notified of their breast tissue density when they get a screening mammogram.
The goal is to enable women with dense breast tissue to receive screening ultrasound, which could potentially find cancers missed on mammography. But are mammography facilities ready for the additional workload required for breast ultrasound screening? Some experts aren't sure.
Learn more by clicking here, or visit the community at women.auntminnie.com.
Sigmoidoscopy success
In other news, a study published this week in the British journal Lancet showed that flexible sigmoidoscopy not only reduced the rate of colorectal cancers compared to individuals who went unscreened, it reduced cancer-specific mortality as well.
The landmark study, which followed more than 170,000 patients for 11 years, is the first to show a mortality benefit from polyp removal. Indeed, it is the first direct evidence that any colon screening exam other than the fecal occult blood test can reduce mortality.
Will virtual (and for that matter, optical) colonoscopy deliver similar results? Only time will tell, but you can read about this week's study by clicking here, or visit our Virtual Colonoscopy Digital Community at vc.auntminnie.com.
Pediatric CT use falls
Finally, we're reporting this week on what appears to be a positive trend in pediatric radiology: reduced use of CT for imaging children.
U.S. researchers surveyed a number of children's hospitals and found that they've been using CT less and modalities such as MRI more over the past couple of years. The decline roughly corresponds to the launch of the Image Gently radiation awareness campaign in 2008.
The trend could be a sign that Image Gently is succeeding in its goal of educating imaging providers in the judicious use of CT. Read more by clicking here, or visit our Pediatric Imaging Digital Community at pediatric.auntminnie.com.
