The American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) has released a list of five interventions whose appropriateness physicians and patients should discuss as part of Choosing Wisely, an initiative of the ABIM Foundation, along with Consumer Reports. Fourth in the list, they ask that patients and their doctors talk about the real need for a stress echocardiogram if they do not present conditions that would warn them of a risk of heart disease.

Hologic Inc. announced the results of an independent survey by KLAS Research of Hologic 3-D mammography sites in the United States. The in-depth survey, which was not commissioned by Hologic, included fifty respondents whose facilities had used Hologic's 3-D mammography (breast tomosynthesis) technology for at least one year. The researcher reported that "providers are seeing cancers that they would not previously have seen with traditional digital mammography," and concluded that providers who are considering 3-D mammography "would benefit by quickly jumping on the bandwagon."

As Americans celebrate National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month (March), the Colon Cancer Alliance, Colontown — a survivor/patient support group for colorectal disease, including cancer — and the American College of Radiology (ACR) call on Congress to pass the Computed Tomography (CT) Colonography Screening for Colorectal Cancer Act (H.R. 991). Introduced recently by Reps. Ralph Hall (TX-04) and Danny Davis (D-IL), H.R. 991 would require Medicare to cover beneficiaries for CT colonography — otherwise known as virtual colonoscopy.