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New approach to biomarker detection for early lung cancer diagnosis

Even with astounding advances in genomic science, genetic analysis of disease remains largely a measure of risk rather than actual disease state. A truer and more immediate measure of health can be obtained by analysis of proteins, especially those that are biomarkers of disease state.

2 Dec 2010

Radiation hazard from diagnostic tests

In a nationwide safety effort launched this week in Chicago health care providers are pledging to stop the overuse of radiation on patients during medical examinations. The pledge at the Image Wisely campaign is signed so far by nearly 700 health care providers. It pledges to use the least radiation necessary on patients for a procedure. An expert panel at a radiology meeting Thursday said the campaign may lead to more review of protocols, more accreditation of imaging facilities and more widely shared standards on proper radiation doses.

2 Dec 2010

Quality issues persist at hospitals, plastic surgery centers; use of CT scans in ER increases

Despite intensive efforts to improve patient safety, a six-year study at 10 North Carolina hospitals showed no decline in so-called patient harms, which included medical errors and unavoidable mistakes.

1 Dec 2010

First Edition: November 30, 2010

Today's headlines include reports on congressional action on the Medicare doc 'pay fix' as well as results from a new poll related to how the public thinks Medicare should be addressed in the context of deficit reduction.

30 Nov 2010

Philips launches new Ingenuity CT platform for optimizing low-dose imaging

At the 96th annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) in Chicago, Royal Philips Electronics announced today the new Philips Ingenuity CT (computed tomography) platform, an innovative technology that will help redefine low dose imaging.

From Philips Healthcare 30 Nov 2010

New chest X-ray technology enhances lung nodule detection

Riverain Medical, an industry leader and innovator in computer-aided detection (CAD) and advanced visualization technologies, today announced its SoftView Enhanced Chest Imaging and OnGuard Chest X-ray Computer-Aided Detection (CAD) technologies can now integrate In Unison for improved workflow and enhanced lung nodule detection.

30 Nov 2010

Cholesterol-lowering statin therapy benefits patients with calcium buildup in arteries

Rolling back suggestions from previous studies, a Johns Hopkins study of 950 healthy men and women has shown that taking daily doses of a cholesterol-lowering statin medication to protect coronary arteries and ward off heart attack or stroke may not be needed for everyone.

17 Nov 2010

Combination of CT scans effective in diagnosing coronary artery disease

Heart imaging specialists at Johns Hopkins have shown that a combination of CT scans that measure how much blood is flowing through the heart and the amount of plaque in surrounding arteries are just as good as tests that are less safe, more complex and more time-consuming to detect coronary artery disease and its severity.

17 Nov 2010

Talecris announces publication of A1PI studies for AAT deficiency in Respiratory Research journal

Talecris Biotherapeutics announced today the publication of combined data from two studies demonstrating that augmentation therapy with Alpha(1)-Proteinase Inhibitor (Human) (A1PI) significantly reduces lung tissue loss in patients with emphysema related to Alpha(1)-antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency.

15 Nov 2010

FDA identifies promising steps to enhance safety of CT scans

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has been investigating reports that patients undergoing computed tomography (CT) brain perfusion scans were accidently exposed to excess radiation. The FDA found that when properly used, the CT scanners did not malfunction. Instead, it is likely that the improper use of the scanners resulted in these overdoses. However, the FDA has identified a series or promising steps to enhance the safety of these procedures. These steps could reduce the likelihood of radiation overexposure in the event of improper use of the CT scanners.

11 Nov 2010

Egrifta receives FDA approval for treatment of HIV-lipodystrophy

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Egrifta (tesamorelin) to treat HIV patients with lipodystrophy, a condition in which excess fat develops in different areas of the body, most notably around the liver, stomach, and other abdominal organs. The condition is associated with many antiretroviral drugs used to treat HIV.

10 Nov 2010

Lung cancer in smokers versus non-smokers shows different genetic mutations

A group of scientists at B.C. Cancer Agency have found that lung cancers in smokers have different genetic mutations and look different than lung cancer in non-smokers. According to senior scientist at the BC Cancer Agency Research Centre Wan Lam, this finding is significant because it means that from now on, research, treatments and diagnostics should be tailored to the distinct genetic variations in the different lung cancers instead of expecting that a one-size fits all approach will work. He said, “At the current time, treatment does not distinguish between these different types. The subtypes are all grouped together. But with this work, we are beginning to tease out the subtypes.” The study was presented Tuesday at a conference in Philadelphia of the American Association of Cancer Research.

10 Nov 2010

Helical CT scanning reduces lung cancer deaths

In a major new study announced today by the National Cancer Institute, researchers including Brown University biostatistian Constantine Gatsonis and his colleagues found that screening for lung cancer using helical CT scanning reduced lung cancer deaths by 20 percent compared to using chest X-rays.

8 Nov 2010

Screening heavy smokers for lung cancer reduces chance of death, federal study finds

The Boston Globe: "Screening heavy smokers with sophisticated medical scanners modestly reduced their chance of dying from lung cancer, according to a federal study released yesterday that provides the first convincing evidence that testing could reduce the toll from the leading cause of cancer deaths. The preliminary findings from the National Cancer Institute were based on a gold-standard study that randomly assigned 53,000 current or former smokers without symptoms to be screened with a CT scanner or standard chest X-ray.

8 Nov 2010

New REACT medical trial for early diagnosis of lung cancer

Physicians at El Camino Hospital are starting a medical trial called REACT that they hope may give doctors a new and cost-effective tool for early diagnosis of lung cancer, the deadliest of the common cancers.

2 Nov 2010

Low levels of pre-treatment radiation do not risk radiotherapy efficacy in prostate, lung cancer patients

Scientists from the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit will present data that suggests low levels of pre-treatment radiation mimicking the doses delivered by CT scans for image guidance pose no risk to the efficacy of radiotherapy in patients with prostate carcinoma and non-small cell lung carcinoma. The findings will be formally announced on Sunday, Oct. 31, during the American Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting.

29 Oct 2010

Scientists develop new imaging technique that can detect breast cancer treatment response

Cancer Research UK scientists have developed a new imaging technique that can show when breast cancer treatment is working, weeks before current methods. The research is published in the British Journal of Cancer today1 (Wednesday).

27 Oct 2010

MEDEC urges Ontario government to develop strategy for PET scanning technology

On behalf of its Medical Imaging Sector, MEDEC, Canada's Medical Technology Companies, is calling on the Ontario government to develop a comprehensive strategy for the deployment of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scanning technology across the Province.

21 Oct 2010

Study reveals diagnostic strategies eliminate ionizing radiation exposure in IBD patients

At the American College of Gastroenterology's (ACG) 75th Annual Scientific meeting in San Antonio, Texas, several studies of the effectiveness of non-X-ray techniques to evaluate Crohn's disease revealed that diagnostic strategies such as capsule endoscopy (CE) and magnetic resonance enteroscopy (MRE) are useful in managing patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and avoiding ionizing radiation.

19 Oct 2010

New motion management software enables clear visualization of moving tumors in lung cancer

A 67-year-old female patient with lung cancer presented physicians with a difficult challenge: her tumor was small and it rode up and down with her breathing. During her treatment set up, all doctors saw on their therapy system's imaging equipment was a blur of motion. Fortunately, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust was able to utilize its Symmetry motion management software; new imaging technology from Elekta that enables clear visualization of moving targets.

From Elekta 19 Oct 2010