Annoyed by the high cost of a tune-up, 30 years ago I took a class on automotive maintenance. Armed with a spark plug wrench, timing light and screwdriver, I thereafter tuned up — far more often than necessary — my 1978 Toyota Corolla. Back then I had the right tools and the knowledge to do what needed to be done. Today I have neither.

The Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University is one of 41 National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated “comprehensive” cancer centers in the country — the highest ranking given by the NCI. The Lurie Cancer Center was first established at Northwestern University in 1974, and is dedicated to scientific discovery, providing state-of-the-art care, and training clinicians and scientists.

Physicians have been utilizing conventional ultrasound, also known as b-mode ultrasound, for diagnostic imaging since the 1970s. However, over the past 10 years there have been significant technological improvements within the equipment, as well as development of new technologies that allowed ultrasound to become more widely adopted. Ultrasound equipment has gotten physically smaller, generates less heat and has become more power efficient. These upgrades, along with vast enhancements in image quality, have pushed ultrasound into the point-of-care setting. Point-of-care ultrasound has become widely performed in emergency rooms, PCP offices and obstetric practices. As healthcare reform continues to favor the use of more cost-effective solutions, this trend is expected to persist until ultrasound is used in every doctor’s office.