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Medical Imaging International
Next-Generation Echocardiography Reporting Modules Showcased next-generation cardiology image management and reporting solution, with new echocardiography module enhancements was showcased at the annual ASE Annual Scientific Sessions, June 2016, in Seattle, Washington, USA. The Synapse Cardiovascular cardiology image management and reporting solution was developed by FUJIFILM Medical Systems (Stamford, CT, USA; www.fujifilmusa.com). The company is promoting integration of ultrasound solutions, such as the SonoSite iViz, with medical Internet Technology (IT). The iViz is the first such system on the market that can accept patient demographics from and send reports too an Electronic Medical Record (EMR) using the FUJIFILM Synapse EMR gateway. Updates to the Synapse Cardiovascular solution include an enhanced workflow, image review, cardiology reporting, and redesigned Echocardiography Advanced Reporting (EAR) modules. Additional features include auto-summary statements, configurable macros, Z-scores, an updated measurement package, and data trending. The modules were redesigned using ASE standards for adult, pediatric, fetal, and stress studies. Bill Lacy, VP, Medical Informatics, FUJIFILM Medical Systems U.S.A, said, “Recent research shows that from 2001 to 2011, approximately 7,669,000 echos were performed nationwide on hospital inpatients alone, representing an average annual rate of increase of echocardiography of 3.41%.
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Image: The Synapse Cardiovascular cardiology image management and reporting solution (Photo courtesy of Fujifilm Medical Systems).
With Synapse Cardiovascular, clinicians and sonographers can expect a streamlined and efficient clinical
experience – leaving them more time and energy to do what they do best, which is care for patients.”
Molecular Imaging Could Become the Standard for Prostate Cancer Tumor Staging esearchers have shown that molecular imaging can help oncologists accurately detect and delineate prostate tumors during biopsies, and can also be used for pre-operative planning. The researchers used Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA) Positron Emission Tomography/ Computed Tomography (PET/CT) imaging and histopathology to evaluate prostate tumors of study participants. The researchers found that by using PET/CT imaging to evaluate Ga-68 PSMA tumor up-
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take, they were able to find all 67% of tissues found to be cancerous in a histological evaluation. PSMA is found on the surface of prostate cancer cells. The researchers used a combination of radioactive gallium68 (Ga-68), and PSMA-HBED-CC a molecular compound to detect prostate cancer cells. The researchers presented the results at the annual meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI 2016). Wolfgang P. Fendler, MD, NM department, Ludwig-Maximilians Universitat Munchen (LMU; Mu-
nich, Germany; www.en.uni-muenchen.de), said, “PSMA shows significant over-expression on prostatic cancer cells and Ga-68 PSMA PET/CT demonstrates a high rate of detection in patients with recurrent, metastatic prostate cancer. However much less research has been conducted for the accuracy of PSMA imaging at the start of the disease. The results of our study indicate that Ga-68 PSMA PET/CT accurately identifies affected regions of the prostate and might thus present a promising tool for non-invasive tumor characterization and biopsy guidance.”
New Imaging Agent Detects Rare Neuroendocrine Tumors novel radioactive probe will help locate tumors in adult and pediatric patients suffering from somatostatin receptor positive neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). Netspot, a product of Advanced Accelerator Applications (AAA; Saint-Genis-Pouilly, France; www. adacap.com), is a sterile, single-dose kit for the preparation of Ga 68 dotatate injection, a radioactive diagnostic agent used in positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. The imaging agent functions as an analogue of somatostatin, with uptake of the dotatate reflecting levels of somatostatin receptor density in NETs. As Netspot contributes to the overall long-term cumulative radiation exposure, patients should drink and urinate as often as possible during the first hours following administration
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Medical Imaging International July-August/2016
to help reduce risk. “Use of advanced imaging techniques to detect rare neuroendocrine tumors at an early stage in patients is critical,” said Libero Marzella, MD, PhD, director of the division of medical imaging products at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA, Silver Spring, MD, USA; www.fda.gov) Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER). “Netspot provides another diagnostic tool whose results will help clinicians determine the location and extent of the tumor. This information is important for planning the appropriate course of therapy.” “The FDA approval of Netspot is a key milestone in our mission of improving the lives of NET patients,” said Stefano Buono, CEO of AAA. “NETSPOT has the potential to significantly im-
prove the accuracy of NET diagnosis, while reducing radiation exposure for patients. We believe that the use of Netspot should also offer increased comfort for patients by potentially shortening a procedure that is currently performed over 24 hours or more to just a few hours.” NETs are rare benign or malignant tumors that develop in the hormone-producing cells of the body’s neuroendocrine system. These cells are found throughout the body in distinct organs, such as the stomach, intestines, pancreas, lungs, and other locations. NETs have receptors for somatostatin, a hormone that regulates the endocrine system. The estimated incidence of NETs for the combined populations of the United States and the European Union is approximately 47,300 patients per year.