October 4, 2011 – The International Contrast Ultrasound Society (ICUS) submitted a petition this week to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requesting removal of the boxed warnings on ultrasound contrast agents. The members of the group say this would bring the product labeling into line with the current body of scientific research, which it says clearly demonstrates the safety and clinical benefits of these imaging products.

October 3, 2011 – Up to now, on-the-job hazards for cardiac sonographers were usually limited to overtaxed muscles or incorrect body positioning. And the profession, with help from equipment manufacturers, has made remarkable progress in identifying and lessening these problems. But now, based on discussions initiated on the American Society of Echocardiography’s (ASE) social media website, [email protected] and results of an ASE survey, there appear to be growing concerns about radiation exposure. As October is Medical Ultrasound Awareness Month, the ASE believes it is appropriate to address this emerging concern for cardiovascular sonographers. Are sonographers getting more radiation on the job than is acceptable for their health?

September 30, 2011 — The CyberKnife Coalition announced that more than 500 men have been enrolled in the first national patient registry designed to track prostate cancer patients treated with stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). All of the patients were treated with the CyberKnife Robotic Radiosurgery System.

September 30, 2011 – PACSGear announced an expanded strategy to combine medical images from all departments with electronic health records (EHR). The “PACS 2.0” initiative is the evolution of medical image connectivity to include integration with the electronic health record.

September 30, 2011 – The Molecular Imaging Biomarker Research Group of Siemens Medical Solutions recently completed a Phase II multi-center clinical trial of its HX4 positron emission tomography (PET) imaging biomarker, which is designed to detect hypoxia – a reduction in tissue oxygen levels – in solid tumors. The trial’s primary objective was to test the reproducibility of HX4’s uptake in tumors by conducting PET/computed tomography (CT) scans of the same patient on sequential days in a test-retest protocol. The trial enrolled 40 patients with head and neck, lung, liver, rectal or cervical cancers, who were scheduled to receive chemotherapy, radiation therapy or a combination of the two.

September 28, 2011 – Researchers have a new weapon in their arsenal to diagnose and treat traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among military service members and civilians. The National Institutes of Health Clinical Center began imaging patients last week on a first-of-its-kind, whole-body simultaneous positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device. The Biograph mMR offers a more complete picture of abnormal metabolic activity in a shorter time frame than separate MRI and PET scans, two tests many patients undergo.