Westerners want neatly drawn lines, simple demarcations, absolutes. In some cases, the lines are apparent. Others are not. Continents are easy to distinguish visibly from oceans. The boundaries between countries are not.

Data from a new study of more than 170,000 examinations using 3-D mammography (breast tomosynthesis) screening technology finds significantly more invasive cancers than a traditional 2-D mammogram. The researchers also found that 3-D mammography reduces the number of women called back for unnecessary testing due to false alarms. The study was published in the June 25, 2014, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

One of the emerging health information technology (HIT) initiatives being considered and evaluated by providers across the country is the transformation and modernization of medical imaging strategy — or subsequently —architecture. The promise of a vendor neutral archive (VNA) or an equivalent medical image-object management solution is one of interoperability and rapid, simplified access to all medical imaging assets. This is further enhanced by the ability of the platform to act as a disaster recovery or the backbone of a health information exchange (HIE) with image management capabilities for patient data.

A strong sense of purpose and high level of confidence encompasses the mindset of the American Society of Radiologic Technologists’ (ASRT) government relations department. This attitude has been especially important this year as the department has been extremely busy providing legislative counsel to states pursuing radiologic technology licensure and working the halls of Congress to push for reimbursement for radiologist assistant (RA) services. It also continues to seek basic minimum education standards for radiologic technologists who perform services for patients within the Medicare framework.

Arc-based radiation therapy continues to gain ground as physicians opt for treatment options that not only are more precisely tailored to each tumor site, but also delivered in fewer visits, which is significantly more convenient for both patients and cancer centers. With a variety of radiation therapy techniques available, from intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and whole-body irradiation (WBI) to proton therapy and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), cancer centers around the country are now, more than ever, able to offer patients a more effective solution for targeting and treating their diseases.

Innovation was the theme at the recent 2014 annual meeting of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) in Austin. Its education and professional programs offered attendees the opportunity to gain practical knowledge on emerging technical and professional issues, and the scientific program featured the latest research on the physics of medical imaging and radiation therapy.