Women’s imaging encompasses many radiology procedures related to women and the diseases that are most prevalent to women such as breast cancer or gynecological issues. Mammogram, breast ultrasound, breast MRI and breast biopsy are the most commonly used procedures.
Due to the elective, rather than diagnostic, nature of these exams, operators are not required to complete formal training or be registered if the scans are done in privately owned entities.
About 60% of those experiencing delays said they’ve struggled to find doctors who accept Medicare, the Radiology Business Management Association reports.
Mammography practices need to continue supporting pre-Digital Age channels for patients to schedule appointments, participate in community health programs and receive annual screening exams in mobile settings close to where they live.
Researchers suggested that the quantitative measures derived from synthetic MRI exams could be used to help guide treatment decisions for breast cancer patients.
The new research focused specifically on associations between background parenchymal enhancement—a known risk factor for breast cancer, visualized on surveillance MRI exams—and secondary breast cancers.
MRI-directed contrast enhanced mammography could serve as a useful stand-alone or complimentary tool for biopsy planning when suspicious lesions are detected.
Nearly 20% of the women included in the study did not complete their follow-up imaging at all, and out of the 3,648 women who did adhere to additional imaging, 23.3% delayed their exams beyond the recommended 60-day period.
Experts arrived at this conclusion after comparing incidents of hematoma between patients who did and did not receive antithrombotic therapy prior to their procedure.
The authors of the new study noted that, even before the pandemic, consultant breast radiologists were among the most in-demand specialists. The loss of interest in it as a specialty due to COVID will inevitably pose further challenges for recruitment.