Over 1150 Total Lots Up For Auction at Three Locations - WI 07/09, NJ Cleansweep 07/10, CA 07/11

What can whole-body MR mean for staging cancer more efficiently?

por Gus Iversen, Editor in Chief | November 08, 2019
MRI Rad Oncology
From the November 2019 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine


HCB News: Based on your research, was there a significant learning curve for radiologists to become comfortable and competent using whole-body MR?
ST: Like any complex imaging technique, there is a learning curve in interpretation, and performance improves with experience. We wanted to test how WB-MR would work if disseminated in the NHS. We, therefore, did not restrict our reporting radiologists to a handful of experts. Instead we used radiologists who were trained as they would be if they were starting up a WB-MR service at their hospital.

They therefore had access to a database of images which they had to review, and then, when they started reporting they initially had their reports checked by a more experienced radiologist, until they were deemed competent to report alone.
stats
DOTmed text ad

You don’t have to invest heavily in CT technology to achieve your Coronary CTA goals

Fast-moving cardiac structures have a big impact on imaging. Fujifilm’s SCENARIA View premium performance CT brings solutions to address motion in Coronary CTA while delivering unique dose saving and workflow increasing benefits.

stats
HCB News: Aside from establishing the evidence, what needs to take place for whole-body MR to become a viable option for patients?
ST: Perhaps the biggest logical barrier to wider dissemination of WB-MR is space on MR scanners, which are usually already running at near capacity. However, given the potential cost savings of using first line WB-MR staging, it should be possible to provide a compelling business case to increase MR capacity in the NHS.

HCB News: Are there other indications where whole body MR might prove more efficient than conventional staging pathways?
ST: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence now recommends WB-MR as an alternative to CT and PET/CT for staging myeloma. In other cancers such as prostate cancer, consensus guidelines recommend including WB-MR in trial designs of new therapeutics so its clinical utility can be fully assessed.

Back to HCB News

You Must Be Logged In To Post A Comment