Screening

Diagnostic screening programs help catch cancer, abnormalities or other diseases before they reach an advanced stage, saving lives and healthcare costs. Screening programs include, lung, breast, prostate, and cervical cancer, among many others.

Comparison of a 2D digital mammogram and breast tomosynthesis 3D mammography showing ability to better evaluate details in areas of dense breast tissue. Photo from UCSF.

Radiologist performance has improved since the introduction of DBT for breast cancer screening

Since being approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2011, DBT has become the most common method for breast cancer screening, and as of September 2022, 84% of all U.S. mammography screening facilities housed DBT units. 

April 11, 2023

Follow-up adherence affected by how and when imaging orders are placed

These are factors that healthcare systems can and should control, experts recently suggested in a new JACR paper.

April 5, 2023
A team of cardiologists from Cleveland Clinic and Stanford University recently tested ChatGPT, the popular artificial intelligence (AI) model, to see if it could accurately answer questions about preventive cardiology and cardiovascular disease. The model performed well, only missing a handful of questions, and the researchers concluded that ChatGPT showed considerable potential. Cleveland Clinic cardiologist Ashish Sarraju, MD, was the lead author of that study. #ChartGPTChat GPT

ChatGPT offers 'pretty amazing' recommendations on breast cancer screening, but oversight remains critical

A team of experts with the University of Maryland School of Medicine recently presented ChatGPT with a set of questions relative to breast cancer screening recommendations to determine whether the program could reliably offer appropriate guidance.

April 4, 2023
Automated breast ultrasound (ABUS) allows for reproducible breast imaging without variation based on which sonographer performs the exam. It also can help centers were they are short on qualified breast sonographers.  Breast ultrasound can help identify cancers, or benign cysts, even in women with very dense breast tissue. At the GE Healthcare booth at RSNA.

Automated ultrasound excels for women with dense breasts

Could automated breast ultrasound replace handheld ultrasound?

March 31, 2023
website

Many U.S. websites do not reflect updated lung cancer screening guidelines

Accurate information relative to personal risk is crucial for improving uptake of low-dose CT (LDCT) lung cancer screening, but new data indicate that many websites' content on the topic is out of date. 

March 30, 2023
Example of the four types of breast tissue density. The density of fibroglandular tissue inside the breast impacts the ability to easily see cancers. Cancers are very easy to spot in fatty breasts, but are almost impossible to find in extremely dense breasts. These examples show craniocaudal mammogram findings characterized as almost entirely fatty (far left), scattered areas of fibroglandular density (second from left), heterogeneously dense (second from right), and extremely dense (far right). RSNA

How do hormonal contraceptives affect breast density?

How recent developments in hormonal contraceptives affect breast density is an important consideration, as an increase in density category increases cancer risk.

March 6, 2023
Money dollar investments

Contrast-enhanced mammography for breast cancer staging offers significant cost savings

Prior research has shown that not only is contrast-enhanced spectral mammography comparable to CE-MRI in accuracy of loco-regional staging, but some studies have even found it to perform better.

February 7, 2023

Risk model-based lung cancer screening more cost-effective than USPSTF guidelines

Using risk model-based strategies to determine who should undergo low-dose CT lung cancer screening is more cost effective than current U.S. Preventive Services Task Force guidelines.

February 7, 2023

Around the web

The newly approved AI models are designed to improve the detection of pulmonary embolisms and strokes in patients who undergo CT scans.

"I see, at least for the next decade, this being a SPECT and PET world, not one or the other," explained Tim Bateman, MD.

The FDA-approved technology developed by HeartFlow can predict a patient's long-term risk of target vessel failure as well as more invasive treatments performed inside a cath lab. 

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