Dear AuntMinnie Member,
It seems like a ridiculous question to ask, but does mammography screening really save lives? The answer may seem obvious to anyone in medical imaging, but it's being asked again this week following the publication of a new study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
In the article, a European team examined data from Sweden to see the impact of mammography screening on mortality from breast cancer. Because screening was rolled out at different time periods in Sweden on a county-by-county basis, the authors theorized that each county would see reductions in breast cancer mortality beginning at about the same time following the launch of screening programs.
Instead, they found wide variations in mortality, with some counties seeing no change while others reported only modest decreases. While Sweden as a whole has experienced a significant drop in breast cancer mortality since screening began in the 1970s, the authors postulated that mammography screening had no impact on this decline. Learn more about the research by clicking here.
The new study has its detractors, including Dr. László Tabár, who led one of the original randomized clinical trials in Sweden that demonstrated mammography's effectiveness. In a Second Opinion contribution, Dr. Tabár believes the team has interpreted the data incorrectly. Read his opinion by clicking here, and check out our Women's Imaging Digital Community for more articles on this important issue.
FDA workshop on pediatric imaging
Another debate raging in medical imaging right now is how to appropriately monitor and reduce pediatric radiation dose. Everyone agrees that it needs closer regulation, but how exactly should we go about doing it?
Earlier this year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration proposed a new regulatory program that would require imaging vendors to receive specific regulatory clearances for products that might be used to scan children. That differs from the agency's current approach, which doesn't differentiate between adults and children when products are reviewed -- and which could lead to some kids getting adult-sized radiation doses, according to some concerns.
The new approach sounds great in principle, but how would it work in practice? The proposal was reviewed at an FDA workshop held July 16, and both imaging vendors and pediatric imaging specialists voiced their opinions, according to an article by associate editor Cynthia Keen.
One concern that was raised was that the new program could force many imaging facilities to scan children "off-label" if they didn't have any imaging equipment that had been cleared under the proposed new rules. Learn more by clicking here, or visit our CT Digital Community at ct.auntminnie.com.
