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.
New research could provide useful information for cancer registries and potentially help policymakers better evaluate screening outcomes to develop more effective guidelines.
Former SCCT president Ed Nicol, MD, knows there has been interest in the potential of automated CT exams. However, he isn't so sure they are possible at this point in time for a number of reasons.
There are no standards requiring radiologists to report on the presence of BACs, even though up to half of referring providers have indicated they would prefer to be made aware of the finding.
Breast artery calcifications are already visible when radiologists review mammograms, but nothing typically happens with them. Researchers aimed to see if AI could help translate those findings into an easy-to-understand cardiovascular risk score.
Despite the great progress that has been made toward the clinical implementation of AI, new data caution against trusting the technology as a single reader in certain settings.
The ACR hopes these changes, including the addition of diagnostic performance feedback, will help reduce the number of patients with incidental nodules lost to follow-up each year.