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A study (Lee and Levy) published in the August issue of Health Affairs reconfirms results of previous studies that imaging use in Medicare is down significantly over the last several years and that imaging is among the slowest growing of all physician services among privately insured. However, the list of factors cited for this decline is incomplete and the drop in imaging use is not without adverse consequences.

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A recent study published in the American Journal of Roentgenology has reconfirmed that virtual colonoscopy (CT colonography) is an effective screening tool for colorectal cancer in seniors age 65 and older. In response to these results, those of a landmark 2008 study in the New England Journal of Medicine, and those of a study published this year in Radiology, the Colon Cancer Alliance (CCA) and American College of Radiology (ACR) call upon Congress to pass H.R. 4165 — the CT Colonography Screening for Colorectal Cancer Act. Passage of this bill would cover Medicare beneficiaries for this life-saving exam.

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The American College of Radiology’s (ACR) national standard for imaging protocols — ACR Appropriateness Criteria® (AC) — is now available in a digitally consumable format to be incorporated into computerized ordering and electronic health record (EHR) systems. ACR has entered into an exclusive agency agreement with the National Decision Support Company (NDSC) to provide the technical platform, support and licensing of the AC under the name ACR Select.

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The American College of Radiology’s (ACR) Radiology Leadership Institute™ (RLI) recently launched its first-ever Harvard Emerging Leaders Seminar — a one-of-a-kind, web-based program, that offers a Harvard Business Publishing curriculum in an online cohort-based setting designed specifically for radiology professionals. The initial August – November 2012 seminar sold out in two weeks — before it could be made widely available to those beyond current RLI enrollees. However, the next seminar will be held February 6 – May 1, 2013. Dates for future offerings of the emerging leader’s seminar will be announced in the coming months.

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Extreme cuts to funding for medical imaging scans in the Medicare Fee Schedule Proposed Rule — particularly an expansion of the multiple procedure payment reduction for interpretation of scans performed on the same patient, in the same session on the same day, to all providers in the same practice or hospital — are unnecessary, unfounded and undermine care for the most sick or injured seniors.

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New and updated evidence-based guidelines to help health care providers choose the most appropriate medical imaging exam or radiation therapy for a patient’s clinical condition are now available via the latest version of the American College of Radiology (ACR) Appropriateness Criteria®. These continually updated criteria are a national standard — developed by expert panels of physicians from many different medical specialties.

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The American College of Radiology is pleased that the American Medical Association (AMA), in updating its policy on breast cancer screening exams, “recognizes the mortality reduction benefit of screening mammography and supports its use as a tool to detect breast cancer” and “believes that beginning at the age of 40 years, all women should be eligible for screening mammography.”

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A study (Smith-Bindman et al) to be published in the upcoming Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) underscores that medical imaging use is down in the last several years, but includes information on current use of scans and their beneficial impact that may be incomplete, incorrect or easily misunderstood.

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The American College of Radiology (ACR) urges that results of a study (Pearce et al) to be published in the Lancet regarding radiation risk from pediatric computed tomography (CT) scans should not keep parents from getting needed medical imaging care for their children, but should be discussed with their physician and factored into their shared decision making before an imaging scan is performed.

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Radiology programs and their residents would benefit from incorporating tablet devices, like the iPad, into residency education, according to a study in the June issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology.

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The overwhelming majority (93.8 percent) of patients undergoing computed tomography (CT) of the abdomen and pelvis (CTAP) in the emergency department (ED) setting are classified as clinically complex, according to a study in the June issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology. Clinically complex is used to describe patients who are, based on documentation of their ED physician, much sicker than others.

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A team of expert radiologist physicians, ultrasonographers and radiologic technologists will provide a series of didactic and hands-on medical imaging training sessions for local health care providers June 4-5 at Grace Children’s Hospital in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. These “Radiology Education Days,” expected to draw up to 70 health care professionals from across Haiti, are part of the American College of Radiology’s (ACR) ongoing response to the vast medical needs and human suffering resulting from the 2010 earthquake which destroyed much of Haiti’s health care infrastructure — including radiology equipment, supplies and teaching materials that support day-to-day care.

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The American College of Radiology’s (ACR) Radiology Leadership Institute™ (RLI) — radiology’s most comprehensive professional development and leadership academy — is now open for enrollment. RLI enrollment is free and open to all of those interested in participating in RLI’s one-of-a-kind, premier leadership training created specifically for the field of radiology. Participants must be enrolled in order to register for RLI courses, track their credits and earn leadership certificates through RLI’s multi-level curriculum.

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Paul Ellenbogen, MD, FACR, of Dallas, was elected chair of the American College of Radiology (ACR) Board of Chancellors. Ellenbogen is a senior attending radiologist at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, and a partner in Radiology Associates of North Texas. He is also a clinical professor of radiology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas.

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The use of a dedicated pediatric imaging department (with dedicated pediatric computed tomography (CT) technologists) for pediatric CT scans significantly reduces the radiation dose delivered to the patient, according to a study in the May issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology.

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The American College of Radiology (ACR) has named medical imaging contract-research veteran Eric S. Perlman, MD, chief medical officer of ACR Image Metrix™. Image Metrix is a leading imaging contract research organization (CRO) and for-profit subsidiary of the ACR.

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As part of its ongoing efforts to ensure safe, effective and appropriate use of medical imaging, the American College of Radiology (ACR) identified a list of five imaging exams whose necessity should be discussed before being ordered. The list, created as part of the Choosing Wisely® campaign, initiated by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Foundation, provides evidence-based recommendations to support physicians working with patients to make wise choices about medical imaging care.

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According to a study in the April issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology, the department of radiology at the University of Colorado in Denver has developed a convenient, pocket-sized reference card to communicate the effective doses and radiation risks of common adult radiologic exams to referring physicians and patients. The Adult Dose-Risk Smartcard is part of the department’s ongoing efforts to ensure safe medical imaging.

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The secondary cancer risk from multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) scans is low among older adults, according to a study from Stanford University in the April issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology (www.jacr.org). MDCT is a high-speed imaging technique that is commonly used to diagnose a variety of diseases and conditions.

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The American College of Radiology’s (ACR) Radiology Leadership Institute™ (RLI) has released the official program for the RLI Inaugural Event, to be held July 12-15, 2012, at the Kellogg School of Management on Northwestern University’s Evanston, IL, campus. This one-time only event features renowned Kellogg faculty, radiology thought leaders and keynote speaker, Jeffrey R. Immelt, chairman and CEO of General Electric. The event will offer a total of 20.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™.

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Coronary CT scans help determine more quickly which patients at low-to intermediate-risk for heart attack can be discharged from hospital emergency rooms than traditional methods, according to an American College of Radiology Imaging Network study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

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The American College of Radiology (ACR) has named medical imaging contract-research pioneer and distinguished physician, Donald P. Rosen, MD, chief executive officer of ACR Image Metrix™. Image Metrix is a leading imaging contract research organization (CRO) and for-profit subsidiary of the ACR.

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Renowned breast cancer care experts will address hot-button issues, including tailored breast cancer screening, the role of ultrasound and MRI in women with dense breasts and the latest breast imaging technologies — tomosynthesis and molecular imaging — at the 35th National Conference on Breast Cancer. The event will take place April 13–15, 2012, at the Westin Diplomat in Hollywood, FL.

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The American College of Radiology’s (ACR) Radiology Leadership Institute™ (RLI) has partnered with Harvard Business Publishing to develop a customized leadership development program for the RLI. The goal of the program, expected to start in fall 2012, is to equip radiologists with the leadership skills required to successfully navigate the complex business of medicine.

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Computerized tomographic (CT) colonography (CTC), also known as virtual colonoscopy, is comparable to standard colonoscopy in its ability to accurately detect cancer and precancerous polyps in people ages 65 and older, according to a paper published online today in Radiology. This is consistent with results of the ACRIN National CT colonography Trial, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2008, which demonstrated CT colonography can serve as a primary colorectal cancer screening option for adults ages 50 and older, but did not specifically break out data for participants ages 65 and older included in the overall analysis. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has deferred coverage for CT colonography primarily citing a lack of data on the exam’s performance in Medicare-eligible recipients ages 65 and older.

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The largest study of the efficacy of virtual colonoscopy (CT colonography) in Americans ages 65 and older, published online Feb. 23 in Radiology, has confirmed the “virtual” exam is comparably effective to standard colonoscopy at detecting colorectal cancer and precancerous polyps in older seniors. Due to these results, those of a landmark 2008 study in the New England Journal of Medicine involving patients ages 50 and older, and the multitude of trials with similar positive outcomes since, the Colon Cancer Alliance and American College of Radiology call on Medicare to cover seniors for virtual colonoscopy.

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The American College of Radiology (ACR) Education Center, “radiology’s classroom of the future,” recently marked the completion of its one-hundredth course offering. The state-of-the-art center has enabled more than 3,600 physicians to experience hands-on training, on individual workstations, using the imaging software of their choice, often with one-on-one instruction from world-class faculty.

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To improve early diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer, ACR, AdMeTech Foundation and ESUR have formed a joint effort to expedite development of standards for the Magnetic Resonance Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System (MR PI-RADS) modeled after a successful effort in breast cancer care. The goal is to expedite the transfer of high-quality MRI from laboratories to patients to address the major need in prostate cancer care — reducing unnecessary biopsies and treatment.

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Contrary to earlier findings, surgical breast biopsies may not be as overused as previously thought, according to a study in the February issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology. Surgical breast biopsies are more invasive than needle biopsies, requiring an incision and the use of general anesthesia.

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Between 2000 and 2009, the musculoskeletal (MSK) ultrasound volume increase among non-radiologists was much higher than that among radiologists, according to a study in the February issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology. Ultrasound images of the MSK system provide pictures of muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints and soft tissue throughout the body.

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A Radiation Therapy Oncology Group trial shows that, in adults with an oligodendroglioma brain tumor, a chromosomal abnormality is associated with a near-doubling of median survival time and better prognosis when combined chemotherapy and radiation therapy is compared to radiation therapy alone.

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GE Chairman Jeffrey R. Immelt will provide the keynote address at the American College of Radiology’s Radiology Leadership Institute™ (RLI) inaugural event, July 12, 2012, at the Hotel Orrington on Northwestern University’s Evanston, IL, campus.

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The trial conducted by the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) shows the feasibility to deliver bevacizumab to the current chemoradiation standard without any apparent increased adverse side effects.

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The RTOG 0925 clinical trial seeks to determine if patients’ neurocognitive changes caused by the tumor progression can help guide treatment decisions.

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Conducted by the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG), the results of the RTOG 1102 are expected to provide important dosing and safety information needed prior to advancing ganitumab evaluation to a phase II randomized trial.

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The Radiology Business Management Association (RBMA) is the first affiliate organization of the American College of Radiology’s Radiology Leadership Institute (RLI). This is the latest step in the development of the RLI — radiology’s first professional development and leadership academy — set to launch in July 2012.

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As part of its ongoing efforts to ensure safe, effective and appropriate medical imaging, the American College of Radiology has joined the ABIM Foundation and eight other medical specialty societies in Choosing Wisely. The new campaign promotes wise choices by physicians and patients to improve health outcomes, avoid unnecessary interventions and make efficient use of healthcare dollars.

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Discredited and obsolete data in Raftery and Chorozoglou, published in the Dec. 8 British Medical Journal, underestimated lives saved by mammography by half. Authors equated false positives to breast cancer deaths.

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Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health recommendations against annual breast cancer screening of women ages 40-49 ignore landmark trials showing mammography significantly reduces breast cancer deaths. The guidelines may save money, but will result in thousands of unnecessary breast cancer deaths.

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The Image Gently® campaign and the Society of Nuclear Medicine (SNM) have launched the “Go With the Guidelines” campaign to encourage community hospitals, academic hospitals and clinics to observe new North American Guidelines for Nuclear Medicine Radiopharmaceutical Dose in children. The dose recommendations, calculated on a ‘straight’ weight basis, have been tested in children’s hospitals and are compatible with high-quality imaging and further dose reduction in the first decades of life.

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The American College of Radiology supports the Diagnostic Imaging Services Protection Act (H.R. 3269), which would prohibit any multiple procedure payment reduction to the “professional component” of CT, MRI and ultrasound exams received by the same patient, on the same day, in the same setting in 2012. A 50 percent cut was included in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services 2012 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule. Bipartisan H.R. 3269 was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives today by Reps. Pete Olson (R-TX) and Betty McCollum (D-MN). It was cosponsored by 31 House Members.

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According to a recent poll of 1,000 American voters conducted for the American College of Radiology, nearly 9-in-10 women reported that having a regular mammogram gave them a feeling of control over their own health care. Nearly 90 percent of women who had a mammogram considered mammograms important to their health and well-being.

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The American College of Radiology condemned $1.3 billion in Medicare imaging cuts in the Administration’s debt reduction proposal. The ACR said these cuts, on top of $5 billion in cuts the past five years, may force providers to close, restrict patient access and increase Medicare costs.

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Top radiation and policy experts to offer solutions to critical imaging informatics and radiation dose challenges at First Annual ACR Imaging Informatics Summit and Dose Monitoring Forum in Washington, DC.

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The American College of Radiology Imaging Network (ACRIN) Annual Meeting —September 21–23, 2011 — offers imaging investigators a science-packed three days of presentations and research planning meetings.

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Nearly 50,000 Americans are diagnosed each year with stage III or locally advanced NSCLC, for which surgery is usually not a viable treatment option. Optimizing nonsurgical treatment strategies for these patients is an ongoing research endeavor. In the August xx, 2011 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, RTOG researchers report that treating patients with concurrent chemotherapy and radiation therapy significantly increased five-year survival rates compared with treating patients with radiation therapy upon completion of chemotherapy treatment.

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For the first time, radiology will have its own professional development and leadership academy starting in 2012 with the opening of the American College of Radiology’s Radiology Leadership Institute (RLI) featuring world-class instructors, a range of leadership courses and opportunity to earn CME.

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A recent report in the British Medical Journal claims there is no evidence that mammography served a direct role in reducing breast cancer deaths in European countries where screening has been implemented. The American College of Radiology and the Society of Breast Imaging say these conclusions have little bearing on, or resemblance to, screening in the United States where mammography’s life-saving impact is well proven. Women age 40 and over should continue getting annual mammograms.

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The American College of Radiology (ACR) and Society of Breast Imaging applaud and support updated American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ (ACOG) recommendations that women begin getting annual mammograms at age 40. The updated ACOG recommendations now correspond with those of the American Cancer Society, ACR, Society of Breast Imaging (SBI), American Society of Breast Disease (ASBD) and many other major medical associations with demonstrated expertise in breast cancer care.

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Short-term hormone therapy (androgen deprivation therapy: ADT) given in combination with radiation therapy for men with early-stage prostate cancer increases their chance of living longer and not dying from the disease, compared with that of those who receive the same radiation therapy alone, according to a Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) study published in the July 14 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.