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E-Newsletter • February 2025 |
Editor's E-Note
This month, we’re focusing on MRI with a couple of interesting news items. First, thanks to routine MRI screening, researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center have found that brain metastases in patients with stage 4 breast cancer are more common than previously known. This could lead to more effective discovery and treatment.
Also, researchers at the University of Basel have trained an AI algorithm to segment MR images quickly and efficiently, which could significantly benefit radiologists’ workflows.
For more of the latest imaging news, visit us on X, formerly known as Twitter, and/or Facebook.
Enjoy the newsletter.
— Dave Yeager, editor |
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| In This E-Newsletter
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Routine MRI Finds Brain Metastases in Asymptomatic Breast Cancer Patients
A new study led by researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center shows that asymptomatic brain metastasis is more common in stage 4 breast cancer patients than previously believed. The study, published in Neuro-Oncology, suggests that doctors may need to rethink current screening guidelines for detecting brain metastases in patients without symptoms.
Researchers examined 101 asymptomatic patients diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer, including triple-negative, HER2-positive, and hormone receptor-positive/HER2-negative breast cancer. These patients underwent MRI scans to check for brain metastasis, with a follow-up MRI six months later, if the initial scan showed no signs of cancer spread.
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Of the patients who completed the initial MRI, 14% had brain metastasis. The rates by subtype were:
- 18% in triple-negative breast cancer;
- 15% in HER2-positive breast cancer; and
- 10% in hormone receptor-positive/HER2-negative breast cancer.
After the second MRI, the number of patients with brain metastasis grew to about 25% in each subtype. Following diagnosis, patients went on to receive early treatment for their brain metastases, including changes in systemic therapy and local therapies.
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AI Tool Predicts Bone Fracture Risk
Researchers at the Southwest Research Institute have developed a tool to predict the risk of osteoporotic fractures in elderly patients. The tool uses AI to detail the inner structures of bones. Their study is published in the journal Bone.
VA Project Reduces Radiation Exposure
Radiologists and technologists at the Bay Pines VA in Florida have found ways to reduce radiation exposure for veterans during CT scans. They aim to reduce radiation exposure for veterans across the country.
CAR T Cell Therapy Found Not to Cause Secondary Cancer
A study conducted by the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center could not find a link between CAR T cell therapy and secondary cancer development. Their research is published in Nature Medicine. |
“We are learning more about neurodiversity and how brain changes that are considered pathological may improve function in some ways. … These findings could help explain how some neurodegenerative diseases might lead to decreases in creativity while others may show a paradoxical increase in creativity. [They could also] help us better understand how the circuitry of our brains may influence and unleash creativity.”
— Isaiah Kletenik, MD, a neurologist in the Center for Brain Circuit Therapeutics at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and cosenior author of a study that utilized functional MRI to identify the activated brain circuitry for creativity in people with neurodivergence or brain injuries |
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COVER STORY
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FEATURE
Counting on CT
CT innovations made a splash at RSNA 2024. Here’s a glance at some of what was unveiled.
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