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Computed Tomography: Painting a Better Picture of Health Care

By Chandana Patnaik

While the health care industry expands and aims to enhance patient survival, a paradoxical situation arises when we consider that there is an increasing prevalence of fatal diseases such as cancer. Over 35 million new cancer cases are predicted in 2050, a 77% increase from the estimated 20 million cases in 2022, according the World Health Organization. Early detection of any disease, be it cancer or something else, can significantly increase the chances of successful treatment.

Various studies have reported these findings:

• Low-dose CT scans can reduce lung cancer mortality by 20%, compared with standard chest X-rays.
• The five-year survival rate for colorectal cancer is approximately 90% when detected early, before it has spread outside the colon. CT scans, particularly CT colonography, are effective in identifying early-stage tumors.
• The 10-year survival rate exceeds 90% for individuals diagnosed at stage one of various cancers, compared with 5% for those diagnosed at stage four.
• Early detection of breast cancer can lead to survival rates as high as 98%.

In an era where precision medicine is becoming the standard of care, early intervention via medical imaging techniques can mean the difference between life and death. For example, CT procedures have emerged as a revolutionary tool in modern health care, offering unparalleled insights into the human body that can detect diseases at their most treatable stages.

Industry’s Response to Challenges
The health care industry is balancing the need for accurate body analysis with the risks and challenges associated with traditional CT by incorporating emerging technologies. One such challenge is a workforce shortage. Data from the World Health Organization finds that two-thirds of the globe does not have access to basic radiology services, including X-rays, CT scans, and other imaging procedures, due to lack of imaging technologies, shortage of radiologists, unaffordability, and lack of technical experts.

The CT industry is relying on the digitalization of this sector. Digital CT, coupled with disruptive technologies including AI, deep learning (DL), and photon-counting technology, are offering significant advantages to both health care providers and patients.

Some ways that the industry is leveraging emerging technology to mitigate challenges are as follows:

1. A cause for concern is that a single CT scan—depending on the body part/area scanned—can expose a patient to 1.5 to 10 millisieverts (mSv) of radiation. Whole-body CT scans can expose patients to up to 20 mSv of radiation, which is more than three times the average yearly natural radiation exposure.
   
   Industry’s Response: Studies revealed that AI could reduce radiation dose by 36% to 70%. Key players have started integrating AI and DL in their modern CTs to reduce radiation exposure without compromising the quality of results. For example, GE HealthCare’s Revolution ACTs Expert Edition provides 40% dose reduction using smart dose technologies.
2. Traditional CT equipment produces image noise, an unwanted fluctuation in pixel values. Excessive noise can cause uneasiness for patients and also hinder diagnostic accuracy.
   
   Industry’s Response: The National Institutes of Health states that in a study, up to 47% noise reduction was achieved with the new photon-counting detector CT systems. Currently, Siemens Healthineers has the only commercially available photon-counting CT systems on the market, although other manufacturers are developing them.
   
   Another example, from Philips, shows that the AI-equipped CT 5300 system launched this year can offer CT scans at 80% lower dose, achieving up to 85% lower noise and 60% better low-contrast detectability, compared with conventional image reconstruction.
3. CT scans involve time-consuming examination procedures. Exam clicks are time-consuming, and they create longer patient throughput times.
   
   Industry’s Response: Deep Neural Network (DNN) is being integrated with CT systems to reduce patient throughput. For example, TrueFidelity DL by GE HealthCare, with DNN, not only generates high-definition images at reduced positioning time by ~56% but also improves total exam clicks by 66%, reducing total exam time by 21%. In April 2022, Wipro GE HealthCare, a joint venture between GE Precision Healthcare and Wipro Enterprises, also debuted the Revolution Aspire CT scanner to improve clinical efficiency and image quality while increasing patient throughput by ~50%.
4. The growing volume of digital data generated from CT studies is creating a pressing need for effective storage solutions.
   
   Industry’s Response: A number of businesses have started investing in cloud-based solutions. Philips, for example, collaborated with the cloud solution giant Amazon Web Services, aiming to improve workflow in digital pathology solutions in the cloud to help accelerate decision-making.

Scanning the Future of CT
From taking minutes for a 180-degree rotation during the first-ever CT scan in the 1970s to a less than half-a-second scan for a 360-degree rotation today, CT technology continues to reinvent itself. As health care providers seek to address challenges, CT is becoming an essential tool in patient care.

The world's population is aging, and it is predicted that in 2050, the number of individuals aged 65 or over will be one in every five people globally. This aging population, combined with factors such as rising pollution levels and lifestyle changes, is leading to an increase in chronic diseases that require advanced medical imaging for diagnosis and management.

The noninvasive nature of CT scans allows for the critical identification of health issues, such as locating tumors and detecting clots leading to stroke, without the need for invasive surgery. The COVID-19 pandemic has further accelerated the adoption of telemedicine globally, which often involves the sharing of medical information, including CT scans.

The United States leads the world in both the production and utilization of CT scanning equipment, with over 80 million CT scans performed annually. The presence of key CT manufacturers in the United States solidifies North America's leading position in the global CT market. Buoyed by such reasons, the need for CT remains ever-growing, and the global CT market is expected to nearly double its 2021 market value, ie, from US$4 billion to > $8 billion in 2030.

As technology continues to advance and early disease detection and minimally invasive treatments are prioritized, the future of the CT industry looks brighter than ever, with the potential to revolutionize patient care and save countless lives.

— Chandana Patnaik is a senior content writer at Stratview Research, specializing in information and technology. She is a regular contributor to various magazines and blogs.