A clinical study of more than 50,000 women participating in the U.K. NHS Breast Screening Programme has found that, while three-yearly screening intervals are appropriate for the majority of women, approximately one third of women are at higher risk of developing cancer and might benefit from more frequent mammograms.

Medical physicists met in Denver, Colo., March 15-18 for the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) Spring Clinical Meeting, hosted at the Denver Marriott Tech Center. The meeting focused on helping medical physicists with the integration of emerging technologies into the clinical environment. Mirada Medical demonstrated its comprehensive suite of advanced deformable image registration (DIR) software tools to meeting attendees. The company utilizes its scientifically advanced DIR algorithms to provide practical tools to support treatment planning.

Konica Minolta Medical Imaging showcased solutions ideal for orthopedic practices at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) 2014 Annual Meeting, March 12-15 in New Orleans, La. Two newly released systems, ImagePilot Aero and Sonimage P3, were introduced for the first time to orthopedic surgeons. The company also highlighted the ImagePilot Sigma, a solution for practices looking to convert to digital radiography.

Hokkaido University and Hitachi Ltd. completed construction of facilities incorporating the Probeat-RT Proton Beam Therapy System within the Hokkaido University Hospital. Hokkaido University and Hitachi had been jointly developing the Probeat–RT. The project was awarded a grant in 2010 under the Funding Program for World-Leading Innovative R&D on Science and Technology (the “FIRST Program”), a national project sponsored by the Japanese government. The University plans to begin treatments using the newly constructed facilities March 19, 2014.

In a joint response to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) National Coverage and Analysis Group, the Lung Cancer Alliance, The Society of Thoracic Surgeons, American College of Radiology (ACR) and 38 other medical organizations called on CMS to quickly provide national Medicare coverage of low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening for patients at high risk for lung cancer.