Molecular Imaging

Watchful waiting strategy could save $1B in prostate cancer treatment costs

If the number of men with newly diagnosed prostate cancer who opted for watchful waiting increased from 10 percent to 50 percent, the resulting savings would surpass $1 billion, researchers estimated in a study published June 18 in Annals of Internal Medicine. The authors noted that new molecular imaging techniques could improve classification of low-risk candidates and set the stage for a more conservative approach than the active surveillance model.

Oncology Imaging

Amyloid Imaging Task Force revamps appropriate use criteria

The Amyloid Imaging Task Force, a collaborative effort by the Alzheimer’s Association and the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI), published an update to previous appropriate use criteria for amyloid imaging as it relates to suspected Alzheimer’s disease pathology June 10 in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

Neuroimaging

FDG PET could predict treatment response for major depressives

Previous studies have pointed to treatment-specific imaging biomarkers for predicting response to therapy for patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), but brain imaging with FDG PET, particularly of the anterior insula, is going a step further to differentiate response to combined treatments, which could improve management of patients with the mood disorder, according to a study published June 12 in JAMA Psychiatry.

Neuroimaging

DTI offers ‘road map’ to diagnosing movement disorders

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) separated patients based on movement disorder diagnosis with a high degree of accuracy, potentially opening the door for early assessment of movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease (PD), according to a study to be published in the July issue of Movement Disorders.

Neuroimaging

Medicare report takes aim at cardiac imaging services

A Medicare advisory panel recommended changes to Congress that included initiatives to reduce payment differences between hospital outpatient and physician office payment rates. One option targeted cardiac imaging services for a projected annual savings of $500 million.

Healthcare Economics

Previous Pause Next

Duo debates $1B P4P dilemma

PET/MR shows promise for pulmonary nodule evaluation

SNMMI: FDG PET bests MPI in detecting early stage CAD

Cancer funds figure prominently on 'worst charities' list

Stabin at SNMMI: It’s time to take on patient-specific dosimetry

SNMMI: PET/CT + breast MR predict chemo’s ability to prolong life for breast cancer patients

CMS halts coverage with evidence development for PET

Medicare spends nearly $1B more on common lab tests than other payers

SNMMI: Amino acid PET helps shed light on pediatric glioma

SNMMI: Radioimmunotherapy + chemo boosts survival for lymphoma patients