February 25, 2009 - The most frequently cited subspecialty for radiology was neuroradiology at 17.1 percent and for radiation oncology, 18.9 percent of procedures involve the prostate, according to an article, Subspecialization in Radiology and Radiation Oncology, by Geoffrey G. Smith, M.D., et al, published in the March issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology.
The article is the result of a study commissioned in 2008 by past Chair of the ACR Board of Chancellors Arl Van Moore Jr., M.D. Responses were gathered from 1,095 professionally-active radiologist ACR members and 308 radiation oncologists.
While few radiologists reported their main subspecialty as general radiology (1.5 percent), it accounted for 18.5 percent of radiologists’ work time. The most frequently cited subspecialties were neuroradiology (17.1 percent), breast imaging or mammography (15.8 percent), interventional/vascular radiology (15.8 percent), and body imaging (11 percent).
In radiation oncologists, 70 percent reported their main subspecialties as being in body parts or organ systems. Prostate (18.9 percent), breast (17.7 percent), and head and neck (17.1 percent) were the most frequently cited subspecialties. Among therapeutic modalities, 12 percent named radiosurgery as their main subspecialty.
Source: The Journal of the American College of Radiology (JACR)
For more information: www.jacr.org