“Tomosynthesis really allows us to look through the breast, slice by slice, in a way that we haven’t been able to before,” explains Beth Whiteside, M.D., breast imaging specialist at Albany Medical Center and radiologist with Community Care Physicians. “It takes away that vexing issue of tissue overlap and allows us to look underneath. I think it is every radiologist’s dream.”

A comparision of a small breast cancer found in a patient without dense breast tissue (left), and a tumor found in a woman with dense fibroglandular tissue. Fibroglandular Dense Breast tissue Comparison
SecondLook Premier software from iCAD marks potential mass (oval) and calcifications (rectangle) on left breast with dense tissue.Breast Density Assessment and Fibroglandular Densities
Hologic offers Quantra volumetric breast density assessment software, which uses details of the X-ray imaging chain to quantify fibroglandular tissue in the breast. It aggregates volumetric measurements from each view in a study into a concise assessment for each breast. Hologic, Quantra, volumetric breast density assessment
This is an example of the output from Volpara, one of the volumetric breast density assessment tools on the market. Volumetric Breast & Fibrograndular Density Assessment

There has been much talk in the news lately about mammographic breast density, its association with the risk of breast cancer and legislative efforts to mandate reporting it to patients. This article addresses the reasons why breast density has become such a hot-button issue and what we might expect from this topic going forward.

Efficient sharing of data and images is essential for multi-site healthcare systems and radiology groups that read for multiple sites or facilities. In today’s world of consolidation, that represents the majority of radiology service providers. When it came time to replace our PACS, we developed an eight-point checklist for what we wanted.
Treatment Plans: Precision in Quick Time

With the precision afforded by today’s radiation therapy delivery systems, treatment planning software that helps direct the process must keep pace. The treatment planning system provides a 3-D view of the tumor that facilitates decisions about treatment options and helps the clinical team develop the best possible plan. They are a means to achieving the end goal for the patient — perfectly targeted, appropriate dose.

June 1, 2012 — Through the rapid growth of multi-slice computer tomography (CT) imaging, radiation protection has become a major issue in the radiological community. In response to this problem, ContextVision has collaborated with Dr. Lars Borgen, Drammen and Buskerud University College, Drammen, Norway, to explore technology solutions that will deliver superior image enhancement in cases of reduced patient image doses. Today Borgen will present his thesis, “Application of Adaptive Non-Linear 2-D and 3-D Post-Processing Filters for Reduced Dose Abdominal CT.”


A potential paradigm shift is gathering momentum in the treatment of early-stage breast cancer, driven by data showing strong clinical outcomes for the use of more sophisticated therapies. Newer therapies using accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI, also referred to as breast brachytherapy) not only allow women to remain whole, they also offer properly selected patients several advantages over traditional whole breast irradiation (WBI).
Angiography No Longer Limited to Cardiology

As catheter-based, minimally invasive procedures expand rapidly beyond treatment of the coronary arteries into all areas of the human anatomy, angiography X-ray imaging systems have moved beyond their original purpose of simple vascular imaging. Today, in addition to interventional cardiology, cath labs are frequently shared by numerous specialists, including interventional radiology, interventional oncology, electrophysiology (EP), vascular surgeons and neurology.

As radiation therapy treatments evolve, radiation therapists are assuming more responsibilities. Their core duties still include serving as the primary contact for patients undergoing radiation therapy treatments that can last several weeks and administering the actual treatments. However, therapists also must review protocols, monitor and assess patients and stay up-to-date on technological advances in equipment. The necessity to balance duties in their “high-tech/high-touch” profession makes radiation therapists a unique breed in the radiologic sciences.

Most experts embrace the notion that the best way to prevent medical errors is to learn from them rather than punish the individuals involved. Despite this, the facts suggest there is still much work to be done in establishing a just culture in healthcare that acknowledges the inherent likelihood that humans will make mistakes.
California's radiation dose monitoring and recording law regarding radiology and medical imaging exams.

There seems to be a general sense of delayed reaction within the healthcare arena when it comes to preparation for California’s Senate Bill (SB) 1237 and Assembly Bill (AB) 510 and other pending legislation that adopts regulations regarding the capture and reporting of radiation dosing. The looming threat of violating California law with the potential for fine implications has begun to sink in, yet the bigger picture seems to be lost in translation.
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