Looking for signs of cancer in the mammogram of a dense breast is like looking for a polar bear in a snowstorm. Because they absorb X-rays, glandular and fibrous tissue appear white, as do microcalcifications, lumps and other lesions that may indicate breast cancer.

Several industries have used cloud solutions for many years, but cloud computing only recently started to be used in healthcare. According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), cloud computing is defined as “a model for enabling convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction.”1 As more and more healthcare organizations (HCOs) adopt electronic medical records (EMRs), the cloud database has offered an efficient solution for image sharing, particularly in radiology where it is bridging the gap between referring physicians and radiologists.

The Elsie and Robert Pierson Radiation Oncology Center is a part of City of Hope National Medical Center — a dedicated, National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated comprehensive cancer center located in Duarte, Calif.

What was once diagnostic imaging is on track to becoming much more. Radiology is on the verge of a new era in which its focus goes beyond the traditional gatekeeper role, directing the earliest steps in patient management to one that adjusts the direction of care throughout the management of a patient.

Digital radiography (DR) has become a mainstay within many hospitals and radiology practices. The increased adoption of DR can be attributed to X-ray vendors dropping their prices, as well as the introduction of wireless DR, which offers more flexibility and improved workflow than fixed-plate DR. Now, many radiologists are opting to invest in DR systems rather than retrofit older computed radiography (CR) systems. While companies such as Samsung are just entering the DR market with new introductions, the focus today is not as much on introduction as it is on refinement. From smaller and lighter detectors for specific applications, to the development of features for dose monitoring and recording, DR is evolving to become more efficient for radiologists.

To help identify trends and find out what topics Imaging Technology News (ITN) readers are interested in, our editorial team makes note of what the audience is viewing online at itnonline.com. In 2013, the topic of women’s breast health — specifically, breast density — dominated half of this list. Perhaps 2014 will be the year that standardized breast density reporting will become law in all states; 2013 got this off to a good start, helping to spread awareness. Other hot topics included healthcare reform and the role it could play in the radiology field, and of course breaking new technology.

Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have achieved higher resolution ultrasounds that can help detect tumors. They combined ultrasound with a contrast agent comprised of micro-sized bubbles that pair with an antibody produced at elevated levels by many cancers. By binding to the protein SFRP2, the microbubble contrast agent greatly improves the resolution and tumor-detecting ability of scans produced by ultrasound.