Dear AuntMinnie Member,
Can radiologists sense the presence of cancer in an image, just by glancing at it for less than a second? As crazy as that idea sounds, a new study indicates it might have a grain of truth.
Researchers had radiologists view a set of mammography images for just an instant and then asked them whether they thought the patient should be recalled. They found that the radiologists performed better than just random chance, a finding that echoes previous research on visual perception.
The researchers believe that radiologists are picking up on subtle features in the image -- which the group called a "gist signal" -- that go beyond just detecting the presence of an abnormality.
The question is whether this phenomenon can be harnessed, either for improving mammography education or the performance of artificial intelligence algorithms. Read more by clicking here for an article in our Women's Imaging Community.
While you're in the community, be sure to check out this story on research indicating that digital breast tomosynthesis could be cost-effective compared with mammography alone for breast screening.
These stories and more are in our Women's Imaging Community at women.auntminnie.com.
4 Facebook tips for radiologists
Many radiology practices are skeptical about the value of Facebook as a patient outreach tool, but maybe they shouldn't be, according to a new article in our Imaging Leaders Community.
A radiologist from a practice in North Carolina described how she ramped up the practice's Facebook activities as a way to better engage patients. She shared four tips from the experience that you can use to guide your own social media endeavors.
Find out how she did it by clicking here, or visit the community at leaders.auntminnie.com.
3D printing brings mummy to life
Don't leave AuntMinnie.com today without visiting our Advanced Visualization Community, where we're highlighting a fascinating article on how Australian researchers used CT scans of an ancient Egyptian mummy, along with advanced visualization techniques, to create a 3D printed model of the face of Meritamun, a high-status woman who lived some 3,500 years ago. Learn how they did it by clicking here.
