CT Scanning News and Research

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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

Stanford medical school doctor, author teaches 'The art of the physicial'

The New York Times profiles physician, professor and author Dr. Abraham Verghese: "At Stanford, he is on a mission to bring back something he considers a lost art: the physical exam. The old-fashioned touching, looking and listening — the once prized, almost magical skills of the doctor who missed nothing and could swiftly diagnose a peculiar walk, sluggish thyroid or leaky heart valve using just keen eyes, practiced hands and a stethoscope.

13 Oct 2010

Loyola treats rare lung disease LAM in women

Lentz was diagnosed with a rare lung disease known as lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM).

12 Oct 2010

Physicians should check fatty deposits around heart when evaluating heart problems: Researchers

Cardiac imaging researchers at Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute are recommending that physicians not overlook fatty deposits around the heart when evaluating patients for risk of major heart problems.

8 Oct 2010

Researchers endeavor to create map of human brain's wiring using MEG technology

As a part of a $30 million dollar National Institutes of Health (NIH) initiative to map the human brain, Saint Louis University neurosurgeon Richard Bucholz, M.D. will image the brains of healthy adults with MEG technology, providing key information about brain function.

5 Oct 2010

Radiologists urge judicious use of radiation-based imaging in children

A CT scan can mean the difference between an accurate and a wrong diagnosis, timely and delayed treatment and, in some cases, life and death. But because CT scans and other tests that use X-ray technology expose the body to often large doses of radiation, their unnecessary, repeated and excessive use may increase cancer risk, especially in children.

30 Sep 2010

Circadian partners with Cincinnati Children's Hospital to develop blood test diagnostic for LAM, a serious lung disease

Circadian Technologies (ASX.CIR) has announced today that it has partnered with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Centre (CCHMC) to develop and market a blood test to diagnose LAM, a serious lung disease that strikes women, usually in their child bearing years.

29 Sep 2010

General Electric Co. announces plans to donate $50 million to community health clinics

General Electric Co plans to donate about $50 million to community health clinics across the United States over the next couple of years, saying that urban clinics can play a role in the effort to slow the rapid rise of the nation's healthcare bill.

24 Sep 2010