Medical Imaging

Physicians utilize medical imaging to see inside the body to diagnose and treat patients. This includes computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), X-ray, ultrasound, fluoroscopy, angiography,  and the nuclear imaging modalities of PET and SPECT. 

Disparities based on age, race persist in PET use for lung cancer patients

Demographic differences in the use of PET imaging among Medicare beneficiaries with non-small cell lung cancer have persisted since the modality’s approval by Medicare in 1998, according to a study published online Feb. 15 in Radiology.

Two to tango? Do cerebrovascular disease + amyloidosis make for Alzheimer’s?

The combination of white matter hyperintensities and cerebral amyloidosis may result in the clinical manifestation of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), according to a study published Feb. 18 in JAMA Neurology.

Cardiac PET/MR: In pursuit of the killer app

Hybrid PET/MR has demonstrated its potential in cardiac imaging thanks to its superior tissue contrast and ability to deliver multimodal quantitative imaging parameters; however, technical and financial hurdles remain, according to a review article published in the March issue of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

Vanderbilt, GE nab $3.75M NIH grant to study colon cancer at cell level

Vanderbilt University has partnered with GE Global Research to secure a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant help define how colon tumors form and develop at the cellular level.

Molecular oncology & kids: Beware targeted therapies

Although enthusiasm for new molecularly targeted therapies runs high, pediatric oncologists should proceed with caution in treating children, as these agents may be associated with unanticipated and undesirable side effects, according to a review published in the February issue of The Lancet Oncology.

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PET technique visualizes amyloid deposits in heart

PET with 11C-PIB provides a noninvasive method for visualizing amyloid deposits in the heart, according to a study published in the February issue of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine. The researchers suggest that 11C-PIB eventually may be used in the clinical setting as both a diagnostic tool and a treatment follow-up method.

Biomarker may measure brain tumor response to RT

Diffusion abnormality index has emerged as a potential biomarker to measure brain tumor response to radiation therapy (RT), according to research presented at the 2013 Cancer Imaging and Radiation Therapy Symposium Feb. 9 in Orlando, Fla. The symposium is sponsored by the American Society for Radiation Oncology and the Radiological Society of North America.

Speedy in-room PET shows potential for planning proton therapy

In-room PET scanning during proton therapy is feasible for monitoring treatment ranges and helps overcome logistical issues inherent with transporting a patient to a PET scanner outside the treatment room, according to a small clinical trial published online Feb. 5 in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics.