Dear Women's Imaging Insider,
There is a lot going on in the world of women's imaging. Did you see our story from the Netherlands on breast MRI? Researchers have determined it's feasible to work out which patients are most likely to show similar results on mammography and ultrasound, and this may help save on the expense of an MRI exam.
It wouldn't be a typical month in women's imaging if there wasn't a heated debate about mammography and overdiagnosis taking place. True to form, a study in the JAMA Internal Medicine found that patients aren't being told about the possibility of overdiagnosis and overtreatment as a result of cancer screening programs; many say they wouldn't start a screening program if the overdiagnosis rate was too high. Read more about the issue and be sure to weigh in in the comments section.
Also in your Women's Imaging Digital Community, you'll find a story about how adding 3-tesla MRI to mammography for patients presenting with suspicious microcalcifications adds "significant" value. Specifically, the modality boosts the percentage of ductal carcinoma in situ lesions detected. By how much and what classifies as "significant"? Find out.
Other questions to be answered include, is the end in sight for sentinel lymph node biopsy for axillary staging of breast cancer patients? U.K. researchers think so. They call the procedure "redundant" in light of MR imaging with dye based on superparamagnetic iron oxide. Click here to read more.
Two other stories you'll want to browse include:
A group of Dutch researchers has addressed the issue of quality assurance with a self-test specifically designed to let breast imagers know how they are doing. How does it work and what's included? Read more.
- The European Society of Urogenital Radiology has updated its guidelines regarding acute abdominal and pelvic pain during pregnancy. The group found that ultrasound and MRI are still the preferred modalities for this indication, among other conclusions.
Lastly, RSNA 2013 is right around the corner. Will you be in attendance? AuntMinnieEurope.com will. Be sure to check back for the latest news and if you come across something interesting either at RSNA or elsewhere, please let us know. We want to make sure we're kept abreast of all the latest news.
