Womens Imaging

Women’s imaging encompasses many radiology procedures related to women and the diseases that are most prevalent to women such as breast cancer or gynecological issues. Mammogram, breast ultrasound, breast MRI and breast biopsy are the most commonly used procedures.

breast cancer screening mammography

Contrast-enhanced mammography to get rigorous tryout under ACR’s oversight

Might mammography enhanced by contrast media prove a surer, faster way than other modalities—including digital breast tomosynthesis—to get to a definitive diagnosis for women with dense breast tissue? The American College of Radiology wants to know.

An example of commercially available artificial intelligence (AI) automated grading of breast density on mammograms from the vendor Densitas..

VIDEO: Role of AI in breast imaging with radiomics, detection of breast density and lesions

Connie Lehman, MD, chief of breast imaging, co-director of the Avon Comprehensive Breast Evaluation Center at Massachusetts General Hospital, discusses how artificial intelligence (AI) is being implemented in breast imaging.

Example of a cancer that is difficult to see in dense breast tissue, but can be seen easier using 3D mammography digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) breast imaging because the radiologist can go through the breast layer by layer if tissue..

VIDEO: The rapid adoption of 3D mammography and use of AI to address dense breasts

Stamatia Destounis, MD, a radiologist and managing partner at Elizabeth Wende Breast Care in Rochester, New York, chair of the American College of Radiology (ACR) Breast Commission, explains the rapid adoption of 3D mammogram digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) technology.
 

Society of Breast Imaging (SBI) President John Lewin, MD, explains some of new initiatives and technology in mammography to increase earlier breast cancer detection. #SBI #breastimaging #mammography

VIDEO: SBI president outlines trends in breast imaging

Society of Breast Imaging President John Lewin, MD, explains some of the new initiatives and technology in mammography that are designed to increase early breast cancer detection.

Interview with Stamatia Destounis, MD, FACR, a radiologist and managing partner at Elizabeth Wende Breast Care in Rochester, New York, chair of the American College of Radiology (ACR) Breast Commission, serves on the Public Information Advisors Committee for Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) and on the Society of Breast Imaging (SBI) Communication Committee. She discusses post-COVID economic issues facing breast imaging centers, including the "great resignation" and lower reimbursements.

VIDEO: Issues with the great resignation and lower reimbursements in breast imaging

Stamatia Destounis, MD, FACR, a radiologist and managing partner at Elizabeth Wende Breast Care in Rochester, New York, and chair of the ACR Breast Commission, discusses post-COVID-19 economic issues facing breast imaging centers, including staffing problems from the "Great Resignation" and lower reimbursements. 

Patients digging deeper into household budgets for imaging exams that aren’t mammography

Why are patients paying far less out of their pockets for mammography now than two decades ago—while shelling out a lot more for other common imaging exams?

Example of the four types of breast tissue density. The density of fibroglandular tissue inside the breast impacts the ability to easily see cancers. Cancers are very easy to spot in fatty breasts, but are almost impossible to find in extremely dense breasts. These examples show craniocaudal mammogram findings characterized as almost entirely fatty (far left), scattered areas of fibroglandular density (second from left), heterogeneously dense (second from right), and extremely dense (far right). RSNA

Breast density notification laws blanket 90% of U.S. women, yet still no national reporting standard is at hand. Why is that?

Dense breast experts Wendie Berg, MD, and JoAnn Pushkin, executive director of DenseBreast-info Inc., explain the current status of breast density patient inform laws, reimbursement and new technologies to aid cancer detection. 

Illustration of the four types of breast tissue densities. The more dense, the harder it is for radiologists to detect cancers, which had led to about 40 states to now require notiofication of patients if they have dense breasts and the impact on their care, with possible miss-reads and that they may need supplemental imaging.

VIDEO: What is the impact of breast density notification laws?

Society of Breast Imaging (SBI) President John Lewin, MD, discusses how legislation concerning breast density notifications has impacted mammography.

Around the web

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CMS has more than doubled the CCTA payment rate from $175 to $357.13. The move, expected to have a significant impact on the utilization of cardiac CT, received immediate praise from imaging specialists.