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ALS, Author Interviews, JAMA, Radiology / 12.03.2014

Prof. Dr. Philip Van Damme, MD, PhD Neuromuscular Reference Center, Neurology Department, University Hospitals Leuven Vesalius Research Center, VIB, Leuven Leuven Institute of Neurodegenerative Disorders (LIND) KU Leuven, BelgiumMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Prof. Dr. Philip Van Damme, MD, PhD Neuromuscular Reference Center, Neurology Department, University Hospitals Leuven Vesalius Research Center, VIB, Leuven Leuven Institute of Neurodegenerative Disorders (LIND) KU Leuven, Belgium MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Prof: Van Damme: Earlier FDG-PET studies carried out in the 80’ties already pointed out that patients with ALS had decrease glucose uptake in the brain that is more extended than the motor cortex, at least at the group level. Of course, this imaging technique has been improved since then. We prospectively assessed the diagnostic and prognostic value of FDG-PET in patients that were referred to us because a diagnosis of ALS was suspected. The most important finding of our study probably is that FDG-PET shows perirolandic and variable frontotemporal hypometabolism in most patients with ALS at the first presentation in our clinic. It suggests that FDG-PET is a very sensitive marker of cerebral involvement in ALS, which has a high sensitivity at the single patient level. In addition our study revealed that the co-occurrence of extensive prefrontal or anterior temporal hypometabolism was present in about 10% of patients and had a negative effect on survival after disease onset. (more…)
Author Interviews, Breast Cancer, Dartmouth, Radiology / 27.01.2014

Michael Mastanduno Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College 14 Engineering Dr. Hanover, NH 03755MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Michael Mastanduno Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College 14 Engineering Dr. Hanover, NH 03755 MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Answer: The study was able to illustrate the design and clinical testing of an MRI breast coil for combined MRI and Near Infrared Spectroscopy. The coil was tested on 8 healthy volunteers spanning all bra cup sizes and mammographic density categories. In the past, MRI/NIRS imaging was only possible in C and D cup sized breasts. The system also will give researchers the ability to target lesions in hard-to-reach areas close to the chest wall. With the successful completion of this study, simultaneous MRI/NIRS is possible in all breast sizes, tissue compositions, and lesion locations. (more…)
ADHD, Author Interviews, Radiology / 15.12.2013

Dr. Vitria Adisetiyo, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Research Fellow Medical University of South Carolina Center for Biomedical Imaging Charleston, SC 29425MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Vitria Adisetiyo, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Research Fellow Medical University of South Carolina Center for Biomedical Imaging Charleston, SC 29425 MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Adisetiyo:  Using a non-invasive MRI method called magnetic field correlation imaging, we detected significantly reduced striatal and thalamic brain iron in medication-naive children and adolescents with ADHD compared to age-, gender- and IQ-matched typically developing controls. ADHD patients who had a history of psychostimulant medication treatment (e.g. Ritalin, Aderrall) had brain iron levels comparable to controls, suggesting brain iron may normalize with psychostimulants. Blood iron measures did not differ between patients and controls. (more…)
Author Interviews, Breast Cancer, Radiology / 06.12.2013

Nicholas M Perry MD London Breast InstituteMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Nicholas M Perry MD London Breast Institute MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of your study? Dr. Perry: The main findings from the study were that automated density readings outperformed radiologists, and that women under the age of 50 had a more significant risk of breast cancer from higher breast density. Also, and quite surprising was the appearance of a completely different age- density pattern in women with breast cancer. Whereas the women in the study without cancer showed a normal and steady decline in breast density with age, those with cancer showed a completely different curvi-linear pattern, which was evident in women as young as 30. The message is that breast density remains an important factor for both the current breast screening methodologies, and for future research into investigation and management. (more…)
Author Interviews, Cancer Research, Heart Disease, Radiology / 16.10.2013

Prof. Dr. Gunnar Brix Division of Medical and Occupational Radiation Protection Federal Office for Radiation Protection Institut für Med. Strahlenhygiene 85764 NeuherbergMedicalResearch.com: Prof. Dr. Gunnar Brix Division of Medical and Occupational Radiation Protection Federal Office for Radiation Protection Institut für Med. Strahlenhygiene 85764 Neuherberg MedicalResearch.com:  What are the main findings of the study? Answer: We investigated the cumulative radiation exposure and cancer risk of more than 1200 patients with ischemic heart diseases (IHD) from diagnostic and therapeutic imaging procedures performed 3 month before and 12 month after the date of diagnosis. The major findings were:
  • ­    87% of patient exposure resulted from heart catheter procedures.
  • ­    The average cumulative effective dose was 13.3 mSv in males and 10.3 mSv in females. The highest dose was nearly 100 mSv.
  • ­    The estimated average attributable life-time risk of male and female patients to develop a radiation-induced cancer in their remaining life was 0.09 % and  0.07 %, respectively. This correspond to 1 excess cancer in about 1100 male and 1400 female IHD patients. The highest risk was 0.9 %.
  • ­ The effective dose is inadequate to characterize individual radiation risks, since neither the age nor the sex of the patient is taken into account. According to our results, cancer risks can vary by a factor of more than 10 for comparable values of the effective dose. (more…)
Author Interviews, Radiology / 03.08.2013

Ana P Lourenco MD Assistant Professor of Diagnostic Imaging Alpert Medical School of Brown UniversityMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Ana P Lourenco MD Assistant Professor of Diagnostic Imaging Alpert Medical School of Brown University MedicalResearch.com What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Lourenco: Our study found a significantly higher recall rate for screening mammography at a tertiary referral hospital compared with a community private practice.  We compared recall rates for 5 fellowship trained radiologists reading at both sites, and all five radiologists had higher recall rates at the hospital site.  When we analyzed patient factors in an effort to explain why this might be, we found that the average age of patients in the hospital was younger (which is known to be associated with higher recall rate) and that more patients at the hospital had a personal history of prior breast biopsy or surgery (also known to be associated with higher recall rate). (more…)
Author Interviews, Heart Disease, Radiology / 31.07.2013

Hybrid PET/MR Imaging of the Heart: Feasibility and Initial Results Felix Nensa, MD Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstrasse 55, 45147 Essen, Germany; MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Nensa: Cardiac positron emission tomography (PET)/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with fluorine 18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) turned out to be feasible with an integrated whole-body 3-Tesla PET/MRI system. Despite the presence of a PET detector in the magnetic field of the MR imaging unit, high-quality cardiac MR images were acquired. PET images originating from a PET/CT and the PET/MR scanner showed very good visual agreement and no statistical significant difference of the mean was found in standardized uptake values, however, variance was considerable. In patients with myocardial infarction, PET and MR images were in good concordance regarding both, cine imaging and late gadolinium-enhanced imaging. (more…)
Author Interviews, Cancer Research, Lung Cancer, Radiology, Smoking / 31.07.2013

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Linda L. Humphrey, M.D., M.P.H. Professor of Medicine Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology and Public Health for Oregon Health & Science University;Associate Chief of Medicine at the Portland VA Medical Center Dr. Humphrey comments on this important study on Screening for Lung Cancer With Low-Dose Computed Tomography: Lung cancer is the 3rd leading cause of cancer in the United States and the leading cause of cancer related death.  It is estimated that in 2012 there were 226,160 cases of lung cancer and 160, 340 lung cancer related death in the US.   In addition, lung cancer is the leading cause of years of life lost to cancer.   Cigarette smoking is by far the leading cause of lung cancer in the US and while many people have quit smoking, data in the US indicate that 37% of adults are either current or former smokers and at risk of lung cancer.    (more…)
Author Interviews, Breast Cancer, Radiology, Yale / 30.07.2013

MedicalResearch.com Interview with Dr. Brian Haas MD Department of Diagnostic Radiology,Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT Dr. Brian Haas MD Department of Diagnostic Radiology,Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Haas: We found that tomosynthesis helped to reduce the number of women who undergo a screening mammogram and are called back for additional imaging and testing. Specifically, the greatest reductions in patients being called back were seen in younger patients and those with dense breasts. Tomosynthesis is analogous to a 3D mammogram, and improves contrast of cancers against the background breast parenchyma. (more…)
Author Interviews, Cost of Health Care, Heart Disease, JAMA, Radiology, UT Southwestern / 24.07.2013

Susan Matulevicius, MD, MSCS Department of Medicine, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, DallasMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Susan Matulevicius, MD, MSCS Department of Medicine, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Matulevicius: In our cohort of 535 transthoracic echocardiograms performed at a single academic medical center, we found that the majority (92%) of echocardiograms were appropriate by the 2011 Appropriate Use Criteria; however, only 1 in 3 echocardiograms lead to an active change in patient care while 1 in 5 resulted in no appreciable change in patient care. (more…)
Author Interviews, Breast Cancer, Cancer Research, Radiology, Yale / 01.07.2013

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Sarah H. O'Connell M.D. PGY-4 Yale New Haven Hospital Yale School of Medicine Department of Diagnostic Radiology MedicalResearch.com:  What are the main findings of the study? Answer: The purpose of our study was to evaluate the visibility of cancers in women at high-risk for breast cancer on 2D mammography compared to digital breast tomosynthesis. In other words, how would the use of tomosynthesis contribute to cancer visualization in this population  of patients? We evaluated the cancers seen in both high-risk patients, those with a >20% lifetime risk of breast cancer, and intermediate risk  patients, those with a 15-20% lifetime risk of breast cancer, for a total of 56 cancers. We found that 41% (23/56) cancers were better seen on tomosynthesis and 4% (2/56) were only seen on tomosynthesis. The majority of the cancers seen better or only on tomosynthesis  presented as masses rather than as calcifications alone which were better seen on 2D mammography. (more…)