Copyright 2009 Medical News Today Latest MRI / PET / Ultrasound News From Medical News Today. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/sections/mri-pet/ admin@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Admin) editors@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Editors) en-us Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170194.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170194.php A rapid decline in metabolic activity on a PET scan after radiation therapy for non-small cell lung cancer is correlated with good local tumor control, according to a study presented by researchers at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital at the 51st ASTRO Annual Meeting. In addition, the researchers also found that the higher the metabolic activity and tumor size on a PET scan before treatment, the more likely a patient is to die from lung cancer. Lung Cancer Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170006.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170006.php Today's high-volume health care facilities require premium diagnostic imaging equipment that can image patients faster, with the best possible diagnostic accuracy. Huntington Hill Imaging Center has installed Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc.'s Aquilion® Premium CT system, to enable them to meet the demands of their growing business. The Aquilion Premium features 160 detector rows to image up to 8 cm of anatomy in a single gantry rotation (as fast as 0.35 seconds). Radiology / Nuclear Medicine Wed, 04 Nov 2009 02:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169727.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169727.php Inflammatory response of brain cells-as indicated by a molecular imaging technique-could tell researchers more about why certain neurologic disorders, such as migraine headaches and psychosis in schizophrenic patients, occur and provide insight into how to best treat them, according to two studies published in the November issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine. Neurology / Neuroscience Wed, 04 Nov 2009 02:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169734.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169734.php Hospitals use ultrasound as a first-line diagnostic exam, requiring them to have cutting-edge ultrasound technology available to quickly and efficiently perform a range of patient exams. To meet these demanding clinical needs, while also considering the financial challenges facing many hospitals today, Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc. MRI / PET / Ultrasound Wed, 04 Nov 2009 02:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169740.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169740.php Myocarditis is an important, and often unrecognized cause of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Several new diagnostic methods, such as cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), are useful for diagnosing myocarditis, according to a study published in the November 2009 issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings. "The use of MRI is particularly significant in the diagnosis of patients with myocarditis because it is a standard, noninvasive method," says Leslie Cooper Jr., M.D. Heart Disease Wed, 04 Nov 2009 01:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169706.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169706.php Medical imaging cuts contained in the 2010 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule will restrict life-saving imaging care to large hospitals, produce longer commutes and wait times to receive care, and cause life threatening delays in diagnosis and treatment of cancer and other serious illnesses. MRI / PET / Ultrasound Mon, 02 Nov 2009 04:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169502.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169502.php According to the American Cancer Society, more than one million people are diagnosed with cancer each year. In the United States, about 1 out of every 2 men and 1 out of every 3 women will have some type of cancer at some point during their lifetime. The sooner a cancer is detected and treatment begins, the better the patient's chances for survival. Cancer / Oncology Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169420.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169420.php The government is weighing whether to cut Medicare payments to physicians who use medical-imaging machines to screen patients for diseases like cancer and heart problems. The decision could come as early as Friday. Lawmakers and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services see the cuts as a way to prevent overuse of the technology, which drives up health care costs. The Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP Fri, 30 Oct 2009 01:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169234.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169234.php Researchers at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, PA, supported in part by NuView Life Sciences, have published an article in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine reporting preclinical results of a novel PET biomarker designed to selectively detect malignant breast tumors[1]. "All tumors detected with the new biomarker were malignant and expressed the targeted VPAC1 receptors located on the plasma membrane of the tumor cells. Breast Cancer Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169187.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169187.php Ascent Healthcare Solutions, a leader in delivering healthcare resource sustainability, announced that it has received the industry's first and only 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to reprocess the Biosense Webster SoundStar™ 3D Diagnostic Ultrasound Catheter. With this new clearance, Ascent continues to lead the charge in bringing sustainability to healthcare. MRI / PET / Ultrasound Thu, 29 Oct 2009 06:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169177.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169177.php Hospitals that make greater use of inpatient diagnostic imaging exams achieve lower in-hospital mortality rates with little or no impact on costs, according to a peer-reviewed study of more than 1 million patient outcomes in more than 100 hospitals nationwide published in the November issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology (JACR). MRI / PET / Ultrasound Wed, 28 Oct 2009 02:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168919.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168919.php This week at the annual Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS), Medtronic (NYSE: MDT) announced the Conformite Europeen (CE) mark and international launch of the PoleStar® N30 Surgical MRI system, the latest in neuro oncology surgical solutions. The PoleStar N30 System has been submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for approval. MRI / PET / Ultrasound Wed, 28 Oct 2009 02:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168922.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168922.php Doctors at the annual meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine got a glimpse into the future of women's health with the presentation of endoscopic gynecologic surgery performed for the first time using "4K" technology. Steven F. Women's Health / Gynecology Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168524.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168524.php 'Personalized medicine' -- where therapy is designed for the individual patient -- is a popular concept in healthcare today, but according to a new market research report, it will be driven by the imaging industry, especially the new molecular technologies. If images can reveal not just the heightened metabolic activity characteristic of tumors but the tumors' chemical signatures, physicians can devise individualized therapies. Radiology / Nuclear Medicine Thu, 22 Oct 2009 23:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168367.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168367.php GE Healthcare, the US$ 17 billion healthcare business of General Electric Company (NYSE:GE) announced it has entered into an agreement to purchase certain assets of ONI Medical Systems, Inc., a privately held company headquartered in Wilmington, Massachusetts, USA. MRI / PET / Ultrasound Wed, 21 Oct 2009 01:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168057.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168057.php Seven medical imaging groups wrote a joint letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to formally request coverage of two fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) scans for a patient during the initial treatment evaluation. Currently, CMS covers only one FDG-PET study during initial treatment - a limitation that the groups believe is contrary to good clinical practice under certain circumstances. MRI / PET / Ultrasound Tue, 20 Oct 2009 02:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/167958.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/167958.php It would appear that learning to silver surf the Net boosts the brain: researchers in the US found signs of enhanced neural stimulation in parts of the brain that control decision-making and reasoning when they scanned the brains of middle aged and older first time Internet users after only seven days of silver surfing. Neurology / Neuroscience Tue, 20 Oct 2009 01:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/167894.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/167894.php Repligen Corporation (Nasdaq: RGEN) reported that it has completed patient treatment in its Phase 3 clinical trial of RG1068, synthetic human secretin, in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the pancreas. The study is designed to assess the sensitivity and specificity of RG1068 in conjunction with MRI for the detection of pancreatic duct abnormalities compared to MRI alone. Pancreatic Cancer Tue, 20 Oct 2009 01:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/167912.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/167912.php Parkinson's disease, a debilitating movement disorder, is usually controlled by using drugs that compensate for a lack of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Parkinson's patients have a deficit of this important chemical because of degeneration in an area of the brain stem where it is made -- a structure called the substantia nigra. Parkinson's Disease Mon, 19 Oct 2009 02:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/167806.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/167806.php Springer and the WINFOCUS Society are founding a new publication, the Critical Ultrasound Journal. This international, peer-reviewed journal will serve as the official publication of WINFOCUS (World Interactive Network Focused on Critical UltraSound). Volume 1, Number 1, will be published in October 2009. MRI / PET / Ultrasound Fri, 16 Oct 2009 02:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/167590.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/167590.php Researchers in Germany found that when they treated volunteers with a placebo that they believed to be a painkiller, scans showed reduced signs of pain-related activity in their spinal cords. The study is the work of Dr Falk Eippert and colleagues, from the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, one of the largest hospitals in Hamburg, and is published online in the 16 October issue of Science. Pain / Anesthetics Thu, 15 Oct 2009 05:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/167437.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/167437.php In the New York Times' "Personal Health" column on Tuesday, Jane Brody examined treatment options for women with uterine fibroids -- benign tumors of the reproductive tract that can cause prolonged menstrual periods, chronic pelvic pain or pressure, pressure on the bladder, infertility, miscarriage or other pregnancy complications. Women's Health / Gynecology Thu, 15 Oct 2009 04:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/167456.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/167456.php Survivors and patients with cancers and heart disease, along with patient advocate organizations and physicians, are urging policymakers to enhance early diagnosis of deadly diseases by preserving access to advanced imaging, such as MRI and CT scans, in final health care reform legislation. MRI / PET / Ultrasound Thu, 15 Oct 2009 03:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/167445.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/167445.php Patients reporting new low-back pain are more likely to undergo surgery if treated in an area with a higher-than-average concentration of magnetic resonance imaging machines, according to research from the Stanford University School of Medicine. This may be bad news for patients, since previous studies have found that increased surgery rates don't improve patient outcomes. Back Pain Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/167376.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/167376.php People with chronic lung disease and asthma could soon be offered better treatment thanks to a new type of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan being pioneered at The University of Nottingham. A purpose-built MRI research unit has been established to study a range of respiratory diseases. The unit is based at the Queens Medical Centre and will allow doctors to virtually 'see inside' the lungs of patients using a new, specifically-adapted MRI scanner. Respiratory / Asthma