CMS elected to keep the new separate cost centers for MR and CT in its final rule, but did drop the most flawed group of cost data from the calculations thereby reducing cuts to the 2 to 18 percent range depending on modality and procedure

The rubidium-ARMI (alternative radiopharmaceutical for myocardial imaging) multicenter trial has established a bar for assessing myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) that meets or even exceeds previous SPECT MPI reader scores after thorough consensus review, according to a study published Nov. 18 in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

Sorafenib, otherwise known as Nevaxar, is now approved to treat advanced thyroid cancer, as of a Nov. 22 statement from the FDA.

South African Nuclear Energy Corp. announced this month that a leak has resulted in a global shortage of molybdenum-99, the precursor for Tc-99m used in a majority of molecular imaging scans. Authorities reportedly conducted an investigation Nov. 12 at the NTP plant in Pelindaba, just shy of 20 miles from the capital of Pretoria. It was estimated that the leak began Nov. 2. and was comprised of noble gas and iodine. Repairs are underway and the NTP plant will await independent review and authorization from the National Nuclear Regulator before operation can begin again.

In a JAMA published study, researchers found that although breast MRI use has more than doubled in a decade, patterns of use do not reflect national cancer screening and treatment guidelines

Gallium-68 DOTATOC is now blazing faster trail toward U.S. regulatory approval for neuroendocrine cancer imaging, according to a Nov. 18 statement from the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI). 

A longer lasting alternative to gadolinium-68 for PET cancer imaging prior to radionuclide therapy has been found in a cyclotron-produced scandium-44 agent, according to a study published online Nov. 6 in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

The semiconductor photocatalysts known in molecular imaging as "quantum dots" are now being used for something completely different: alternative energy. The nanocrystals, instead of highlighting tissues, are harnessing methanol through a process of photosynthesis. This and other research, including advances in biomedical 3D printing and oncologic iron-based MRI contrast agents are featured in a profile of new research published in the New York Academy of Sciences magazine.