Dear AuntMinnieEurope Member,
A common view is that multidisciplinary teams improve treatment standards and the overall experience of cancer patients by bringing together a diverse range of professionals. But given the increasing workloads and shortages of radiologists, are such teams really feasible in today's cost-conscious climate?
This question was addressed during the French national radiology congress, JFR. Dr. Agnès Buzyn, PhD, president of France's National Cancer Institute, has some interesting views on this topic. Read about them here.
Brain drain continues to be a major concern in the developing world, including Pakistan. Many of the country's doctors are relocating to Europe, the Middle East, and the U.S. What's driving this migration, and what are the solutions? To find out, click here.
Patients seeking a second opinion on their medical images now have greater choice, following the launch of a Dutch-Slovakian venture. The owners will need to convince users their data are safe and the experts will do the work themselves, but it will be fascinating to see if the new service succeeds. Go to our Healthcare Informatics Digital Community, or click here.
New MR techniques may evolve to visualize microcalcifications on breast MRI, and they might improve detection of ductal carcinoma in situ lesions, according to the latest research, which supports greater use of 3-tesla systems. Visit our Women's Imaging Digital Community, or click here.
Parallel-transmit whole-body MRI has shown promise for abdominal and prostate cancer detection, but doubts remain about its cost-effectiveness. This topic was addressed in a roundtable discussion at the recent meeting of the European Society of MR in Medicine and Biology. Get the story here.
Finally, European Radiology has published details about one of the first studies to combine a high-pitch cardiac CT angiography imaging protocol with iterative reconstruction. The researchers reduced radiation doses to less than 1 mSv, with good image quality even in heavier patients. Click here to learn more.
