Radiological societies from all over the world are ramping up to celebrate the International Day of Radiology (IDoR) on November 8. The theme for this year's event will be brain imaging, according to co-organizer the European Society of Radiology (ESR).
ESR said that more than 60 European radiological societies will take part, joined by 20 North American, 12 Latin American, and 11 Asian societies. The numbers will be boosted even further by the first-time participation of five African societies that represent 26 countries, according to ESR. In 2013, 110 radiology and medicine-related societies were involved in IDoR, an initiative created by ESR, RSNA, and the American College of Radiology (ACR).
Many societies will hold their own IDoR events, including press conferences, public lectures, media outreach, and open days at hospitals, in the hope of expanding awareness of the value of medical imaging for detecting, diagnosing, and managing brain disease, ESR said. Also, this year's IDoR will again see the involvement of several patient organizations, including the Stroke Alliance for Europe and a carryover from last year's event, the European Patients' Forum.
ESR said it has created two booklets in support of the initiative. Produced in collaboration with the European Society of Neuroradiology, one booklet describes imaging's role in the five major brain diseases: brain tumor, stroke, Alzheimer's disease and dementia, Parkinson's disease, and multiple sclerosis. Experts selected by ACR and the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology also contributed chapters on research in brain imaging and radiotherapy in brain malignancies.
ESR teamed up with the International Society for the History of Radiology for the second booklet, which is the third volume of the Story of Radiology series. This booklet includes chapters on the origins of medical physics, Marie Curie and the Radium Institute, the history of MRI, photography and radiology, and military radiology during World War I, ESR said.
