Dear AuntMinnieEurope Member,
A host of medical imaging companies have expanded rapidly in the early development phase, but then found it extremely difficult to sustain this growth. They tend to stagnate or get taken over.
Sectra serves as a fascinating case study in this context. Its strong market performance over recent years has caught the attention of industry expert Steve Holloway, but will this success continue? Don't miss his profile of the Swedish firm.
Imaging biomarkers are often acquired with very different protocols. This makes the quantitation across sites and equipment variable, and means radiologists and clinicians are wary about using them, explains Prof. Nandita deSouza and her colleagues at the European Imaging Biomarkers Alliance. They've released recommendations designed to promote the use of validated imaging biomarkers as decision-making tools. Go to the MRI Community.
Meanwhile, blood biomarkers are developing a greater role in lung cancer detection. At this week's World Conference on Lung Cancer in Barcelona, Spain, a U.K. team reported that combining a blood test and CT lung screening helped to improve the results. Visit our CT Community.
U.K. authorities revealed last year that thousands of women missed invitations to breast screening appointments due to a computer error. Despite this fiasco, a study published on 6 September found the public's trust in the breast screening service remains intact.
Also in the Women's Imaging Community, you can learn about an analysis from Norway about which factors can influence physicians' behavior when it comes to recommending cancer screening to patients.
Swedish investigators have been keeping busy too. A group from Lund has discovered that digital breast tomosynthesis and digital mammography appear to detect cancers of a similar biologic profile.
