June 2008 Blog Archive
Monday, June 30, 2008
Software Recommended for CT Angiography
At a recent medical conference there was a presentation which suggested that it is highly important to use emerging software for the 64-slice CT because the CT Angiography isn't clear enough to provide accurate information without this software. The issue is that the machine currently prodcues hundreds of images which have to be gone through one-by-one in order to get a complete assessment of the risk of coronary artery disease. The new software would allow for 3D imaging that would significantly reduce the time needed for assessment while increasing the effectiveness of the testing.
It is believed that this is going to become even more important in the years to come because more and more people are suffering from problems with coronary artery disease. Twenty five percent of deaths in the UK are caused by this disease. With more patients, it becomes even more important that doctors increase the efficiency of this type of screening. Learn all about this issue and the new technology designed to resolve it
here.
Question of the Day: Is more efficient CT Angiography testing required?photo link
Friday, June 27, 2008
New Colon Cancer Screening Being Tested Out
Colon cancer screening has vastly improved over the years with the biggest change being the transition away from the invasive colonoscopy to the less invasive virtual colonoscopy. A new clinical trial is taking place which explores the possibility of even more advances in this type of medical screening.
"A Northwestern University biomedical engineer who has developed optical technology shown to be effective for the early detection of colon cancer has received a $7.5 million grant over five years from the National Cancer Institute to further study an instrument that potentially could become a routine colon cancer screening test and to launch large-scale clinical trials." (source)
If this test turns out to be successful, it could radically change the face of colon cancer screening. The test is so simple that it is believed that it could be performed by the primary care physician in an annual check-up. This is vastly different from the procedure today which requires going to a specialist for specific screening.
Colon cancer is a serious disease which is a leading killer in America today. The more readily available that we can make screening for the disease, the more likely it is that people will get diagnosed and treated early enough to reduce the fatality rates caused by colon cancer. This test could lead us in that direction.
Question of the Day: Will this new colon cancer screening reduce fatality rates of colorectal cancer?photo link
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Heart Imaging Agents Need More Studying
A strong recommendation has been made by a panel of experts to improve heart imaging for patients. The recommendation is for the people who make the contrast agents that are used to enhance visibility of echocardiogram information. The makers are strongly urged to conduct widespread studies to reduce the complications that sometimes occur with the use of these contrast agents.
There have been problems in the past for patients using these contrast agents, problems that have included death in rare instances. The medical panel is strongly urging a comprehensive and intensive study of the agents to increase their safety as well as their efficiency for heart imaging.
The echocardiogram is not the only option for heart imaging. Patients who are concerned about this issue will want to discuss alternative heart scan options with their doctors until this recommended study is complete. Learn more about this important issue
here.
Question of the Day: What should makers of contrast agents for echocardiograms be doing to improve their safety?photo link
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Reasons for Ethnic Disparity in Colon Cancer Screening
Colon cancer screening is considered to be important for all ethnic groups because of the fact that the untreated disease is a leading killer of people from all backgrounds. Unfortunately, there is some disparity in the amount of screening that takes place between different ethnic groups. It is believed that this is due in large part to factors that are known and can be mitigated in white, Hispanic and black populations but that the different rates in the Asian population are caused by unknown factors.
A recent study showed that there are three major factors that impact the disparity in colorectal cancer screening between whites, Hispanics and blacks. Those factors are socioeconomic status, access to quality health care and issues related to language barriers when working with doctors. When those factors are adjusted for, the rates of colon cancer screening are the same between the three groups.
However, the rates are not the same for Asian groups even after these factors have been taken into consideration. It is not clear what the reason for this is but it is believed that it is due to factors that weren't taken into consideration such as aspects of cultural understanding of the health practices of the Asian population. Learn more about this disparity here.
Question of the Day: What causes rates of colon cancer screening to be significantly different in Asian populations as compared to other ethnic groups?photo link
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Ultrasound May Offer Simple Osteoporosis Screening
People who are interetsed in checking out their risk of osteoporosis are typically going to get a bone density scan. This is an important screening test whch can provide information to the patient about signs of osteoporosis in order to prevent some of the problems that this illness causes as people aeg. However, it may be possible to use simpler screening to determine this same information.
A new study showed that a radiation-free ultrasound may be useful for detecting signs of osteoporosis in aging women. The information obtained from this testing can be combined with other information about the patient in order to better assess whether bone density screening is actually necessary. This could help to reduce unnecessary screening while improving the screening for those patients who are at risk of problems with osteoporosis.
Learn more about this study
here.
Question of the Day: Is ultrasound screening a good choice for people who may be at risk of osteoporosis but who aren't ready for a bone density scan?photo link
Monday, June 23, 2008
Improving CT Lung Cancer Scans
There are a few screening exams which have the potential to be really great for early detection of serious disease but which are also flawed in the sense that they aren't always performed correctly and therefore don't meet their full potential. Lung cancer screening is one of these. Many people get lung cancer screening that fails to detect the disease and then end up developing later stage lung cancer that can't be easily treated.
A
recent report reveals that there are three major causes of missed detection in lung cancer CT screening:
- Observer Error.
- Technical Considerations.
- Lesion Characteristics.
The good news is that these are all things that can be improved. Technicians can be trained to be more diligent and observant in their recommendations and reading of CT Lung Scans. Technology can be improved to enhance the use of this screening option. And research can improve understanding of different lesion characteristics in order to make sure that screening is more effective.
Question of the Day: What should be done to improve the screening that we're doing for lung cancer today?photo link
Friday, June 20, 2008
Make Sure MRI Is Not a Hotbed for Infection
Experts are taking a close look at the reasons that infections may develop in hospital settings and they are finding that one area of concern is the
MRI. Recommendations are being made which should help to make sure that the MRI is properly sterilized so that patients are not exposed to infection-causing microorganisms in these machines.
You may be wondering what causes the MRI to be an area of the hospital that isn't properly cared for in this way already. The answer is because of the risk that is perceived by hospitals of allowing non-medical personnel into areas where MRI equipment is housed. This has resulted in a lack of attention to these areas by cleaning crews.
The solution is likely to be education about this problem in hospitals and attention to training cleaning staff to appropriately care for these areas of the hospital. Imaging is a crucial part of the hospital stay for many people and should be made to be as safe as possible in regards to infection.
A three-part series of articles detailing everything about this issue has started today at AuntMinnie and can be explored in more depth
here.
Question of the Day: What should be done to reduce the number of infections that are obtained during use of MRI equipment in hospitals?photo link
Thursday, June 19, 2008
MDCT Can Supplement Breast MRI
In the past year, it has become increasingly common for doctors to recommend the use of the breast MRI to certain mammogram patients. Patients at high risk of breast cancer or with questionable mammogram results can greatly benefit from the additional information provided by the breast MRI.
Hoever, even the breast MRI isn't perfect. Some patients can undergo the MRI for one reason or another. And sometimes the information in the breast MRI needs to be supplemented to provide a more accurate picture of the health issues for the doctor to be able to recommend the best treatment.
One of the ways that the breast MRI may be supplemented is with the use of the MDCT.
"Multidetector-row CT has been commercially available for more than a decade, and its use has proliferated, particularly in applications such as coronary CT angiography." (source)
It is now becoming increasingly apparent that it can also be used to supplement the breast MRI in order to improve women's imaging.
Question of the Day: When should the MDCT be used as an alternative or supplement for the breast MRI?photo link
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Would Knowing Genetic Risks Increase Screening Rates?
Last week we pointed to a
study that revealed that people who have a family history of colon cancer are less likely to get screening for the disease than those people who do not share such a history. This is surprising considering that increased awareness of the disease should be correlated with higher screening rates, not lower ones. This begs the question as to whether being aware of the risks of contracting illnesses is going to increase or decrease the likelihood that an individual will get preventive imaging scans.
A
recent study of skin cancer risks revealed that people who have been genetically tested and found to be at high risk of developing cancer are more likely to get screening for this disease. This indicates that people who have concrete medical evidence that they are at risk because of genetics are likely to get screened for certain diseases.
Combined with the information from the previous study, the conclusion may be drawn that people don't increase their screening just because a family member has an illness but may increase their screening when faced with information that proves that they have a higher likelihood of contracting the illness in the future.
Question of the Day: Does an awareness of genetic risks of disease increase or decrease the rate of preventive screening?photo link
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Obesity Decreases Likelihood of Getting Important Screening
There is an unfortunate correlation between obestity and preventive health screening in the United States. People who suffer from severe problems with being overweight and are less likely to get screened for certain kinds of cancers. This is a problem specifically because the incidence of developing these cancers is higher in people who are overweight.
Studies in the past have shown that people suffering from obesity are less likely to get colon cancer screening, breast cancer screening and cervical cancer screening. A
recent study of women in Canada reveals that the problem is not as extensive there but that obese Canadian women do seem less likely to get cervical cancer screening than their healthy-weight counterparts.
It is believed that more education of patients by their doctors would alter this trend. Doctors dealing with obese patients should emphasize the importance of all types of cancer health screening with particular attention to these three types of cancer.
Question of the Day: What is the reason that obesity is correlated with decreased screening rates?photo link
Monday, June 16, 2008
Molecular Imaging Faces Challenges As It Moves Forward
The type of imaging that we use in medicine is changing as technologies advance. However, it always takes society a little bit of time to catch up to science so we aren't seeing the changes take place in real life yet even though they are occurring in the lab. For example, there is a lot of forward motion in research of molecular imaging and nuclear medicine but that research faces a lot of barriers that could prohibit it from being realized any time in the near future.
Molecular imaging is a great step forward in preventive health care and treatment of disease because it allows the doctor to offer more personalized advice to each patient. More individualized treatments can be created based on the information provided by imaging at this level. However, this requires that the technologies for doing this be allowed to be put into use which currently isn't the case.
Funding is one of the major reasons that this type of research hasn't gone as far as it could. Hesitancy by doctors and researchers to move into this controversial area is another reason. And the usual issues with FDA approval delays also block the progress of this area of medicine. Learn more about the details of this issue
here.
Question of the Day: Should we push molecular imaging forward as a society?photo link
Friday, June 13, 2008
Get Dad Health Screening for Father's Day
If you're struggling to figure out what to get your father for the upcoming Father's Day holiday then maybe you should think about getting him a gift that will last longer than just the weekend. For example, you could consider getting him an appointment for some of the improtant preventive health screening that he probably needs and isn't getting.
Many older men fail to take care of preventive health screening because of the cost and because they don't think they really need to take these precautions. This failure to get screened for serious diseases often leads to these health issues not being detected early enough to be treated.
There are certain screening exams that are recommended for all men past a certain age. For example, the colorectal cancer screening exam is recommended for men past the age of 50. The
heart scan is another important scan for aging men as their heart health is often a concern. Ask a doctor what your dad might need and make him an appointment. He might grumble but he's going to like it more in the long run than he'll like that tie you were going to give him.
Question of the Day: Which preventive health scan would you get your dad for Father's Day?photo link
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Family History of Colon Cancer Decreases Likelihood of Testing
There appears to be an interesting correlation between a family history of colon cancer and the likelihood of getting tested for some African Americans. You would think that people who are familiar with the disease would want to get screening because they would want to catch the problem early on. However,
studies indicate that people who have a family history of the disease are actually less likely to get screening than the average African American is.
This is of particular concern because the African American population is significantly more likely to die from the disease than any other group in America. It is unclear what the reason for this is although it is believed to be due partially to the fact that this group has lower screening rates than other groups in the country.
One good bit of information that came out of this study was that the people in the study were definitely more likely to get screening if it was specifically recommended to them by their doctors. This held true whether or not the individual had a family history of colon cancer. As a result, it appears that doctors can alter the trends in African American death rates from the disease simply by educating patients about the need for screening.
Question of the Day: Why would a history of colon cancer in the family decrease the likelihood that a person would get screening for that disease?photo link
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Mammogram Results Vary By Testing Facility
You probably already know that you want to get a good doctor for any screening that you're going to have done but now a study confirms it, at least in so far as getting a mammogram goes. The study revealed that there is a difference in the accuracy of mammography between different facilities. That's the bad news; the good news is that there were specific factors identified which caused the difference which means that recommendations can be made to those places that aren't providing accurate results in order for them to be able to improve their performance.
Some of the factors that caused a difference in accuracy included:
- The presence of a breast imaging specialist during the review of the mammogram.
- The use of double readings to confirm initial test results.
- The use twice-yearly audit reviews to check on the screening.
When you're trying to find someone to do this kind of screening for you, these are the things that you will want to inquire about. This also serves as an important reminder that you should ask questions like these when getting a breast MRI or any other type of advanced screening. You want to make sure that the information you're getting about your health is as accurate as can be!
Learn more
here.
Question of the Day: Would you think to ask these questions before getting a mammogram?photo link
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Minority Colon Cancer Screening Increases in NYC
There has been a
huge increase in the number of NYC minorities that are getting screened for colon cancer, something that is viewed as a positive thing because of the seriousness of the disease. Screening significantly reduces the likelihood that the disease will become fatal. This type of increase indicates that education about the problem is successful.
Screening rates increased over the past five years for all different ethnicities. Screening among minority groups grew considerably, to the point where African Americans and Hispanic Americans now get screening at higher rates than whites do in NYC.
It is believed that this increase is due to the introduction of "patient navigators" to the medical program there. These are bilingual individuals who place phone calls to patients to remind them of the need for colon cancer screening and who assist them in setting up the appointments. Over the past five years, this has caused rates of screening to increase by 50% across many minority groups.
Question of the Day: Will colon cancer screening rates in NYC continue to grow?photo link
Monday, June 09, 2008
Doctors Challenge Each Other To Perform Better Cancer Screening
Colon cancer is a serious problem plaguing people throughout the world and doctors are working hard to find increasingly better methods of catching the disease in its early stages in order to reduce the risk of death it can cause. The best method of disease detection to date is the virtual colonoscopy. And two doctors recently
challenged each other to see which one could outperform the other in using this method to detect signs of the disease.
What was interesting about this challenge was that it caused a gastroenterologist and a radiologist to compete against one another. It was assumed that the radiologist would be more successful in detecting colon cancer polyps with the virtual colonoscopy. However, this was incorrect. The gastroenterologist was the one who won the challenge.
This does not necessarily mean that every gastroenterologist is going to be better at reading the virtual colonoscopy than a radiologist would be. Both types of doctors are competent in this area of study. But it shows that you may be interested in more carefully reviewing your options when choosing a doctor so that you get the best person for the job.
Question of the Day: Would you prefer to have a gastroenterologist or radiologist do your virtual colonoscopy?photo link
Friday, June 06, 2008
Ultrasound Can Identify Appendicitis
Appendicitis is a very serious health problem that is difficult to diagnose. Its symptoms are primarily things like pain in the abdomen, symptoms which could easily be something other than appendicitis. Because the appendix must be removed if this condition is present, it is important to be able to identify whether or not the problem is appendicitis. Studies indicate that the best method of doing so might be to use ultrasound imaging.
Computed tomography is a more common screening choice for doctors looking at the possible presence of this issue. However it appears that ultrasound technology may be nearly as effective in determining the presence of appendicitis. Using this procedure can save time and money which makes it a wise choice according to some doctors. Higher availability and lack of radiation exposure are additional benefits.
It is recommended that unclear results from the ultrasound should then include follow-up from computed tomography. It should also not be used to rule out acute appendicitis in serious cases that are presenting classic symptoms of the illness. Learn the details
here.
Question of the Day: Should the ultrasound be used to identify appendicitis?photo link
Thursday, June 05, 2008
CT Angiography Recommended for Saving Costs
Patients interested in getting screened for coronary artery disease have a few different options available to them. The most commonly used option is to get SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) done. However, a new study shows that the use of
CT Angiography before this procedure can significantly save on overall screening costs.
For patients who did have coronary artery disease, the costs of doing this test first could be higher. However, costs are significantly lower for patients who do not have the disease. Taking a look at the whole group of people who get tested, it is revealed that costs are lower overall for those people taking the CT Angiography screening first.
Both methods allow doctors to find out what they need to regarding the presence of this health problem. It makes sense to go with the one that is financially better for you, especially during this time when the economy is in flux.
Learn more about this study
here.
Question of the Day: Would you be likely to choose a lower cost screening option if one was available?photo link
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Improved Cancer Imaging Advances Limited By Funding Problem
The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) recently held this year's annual meeting and some unfortunate news was revealed at that time. Two different projects aimed at improving cancer imaging in order to be able to better detect cancer in its early treatable stages are going to have to be delayed or forgotten as a result of lack of funding. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has seen budget cuts throughout the Bush administration era and is having to scale back on programs like these as a result.
The two programs that are being cut at this time are as follows:
- Imaging Response Assessment Teams programs which was designed to begin using imaging in assessing responses to therapy in order to better guide treatment and improve patient care.
- Contrast Imaging Agents Development. This program would have facilitated communication and information exchange between laboratory discoveries and investigational drug status.
The loss of both of these programs is unfortunate news for the imaging community in terms of cancer treatment. Learn more about these programs and the loss of them
here.
Question of the Day: Is preventive imaging for cancer an area that budget cuts should be taking place in?photo link
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Radiation Dose of Virtual Colonoscopy
People who are interested in preventing death by colon cancer frequently use virtual colonoscopy screening to detect the disease in its early stages while it can still be treated. Some people, however, fear that the risk of radiation from preventive scans like this is not worth the benefits of getting the scan. This has generally been found to be false because the radiation risk is low whereas the spread of cancer can be fatal.
A new study has shown that it's possible to limit the amount of radiation that the body experiences during the virtual colonoscopy exam but that most doctors don't make use of these methods. The reason for this is because the quality of the scan image is reduced when the lower radiation amounts are used. Patients with concerns about radiation should ask their doctors about this issue.
Learn more about studies related to the radiation risk of colon cancer screening
here.
Question of the Day: Are you concerned about the radiation risk of preventive health screening?photo link
Monday, June 02, 2008
Colon Cancer Screening Should Start Sooner Not Later
If you're in your thirties or even your early forties then you probably haven't thought much about a lot of the annual and semi-annual preventive health scans that are out there. That's because a majority of this screening isn't strongly recommended until later ages of life. This includes colorectal cancer screening which is designed to prevent colon cancer which is a serious problem for people today. And it's a problem you might need to start thinking about sooner rather than later because studies suggest that screening should begin at younger ages than those which are currently recommended by most doctors.
Traditionally it has been recommended that regular colon cancer screening begin around age fifty. However, this information is based on the fact that cancer rates rise significantly around this time. New studies show that pre-cancerous growths take a long time to develop which means that the disease could effectively be stopped from spreading if people caught it in their forties. This suggests that the timeline for recommended procedures should be moved forward approximately ten years.
Learn more about this issue
here.
Question of the Day: When do you think we should start getting regularly colon cancer screening?photo link
