Dr. Julianne Santarosa, celebrating July Fourth on a boat in Texas, received unsettling news during a full-body MRI scan conducted by Prenuvo. Radiologists had identified a lung nodule, raising concerns about her health. Although she hadn’t experienced any pain or specific symptoms, she had a gut feeling to get the scan after seeing a Prenuvo ad on Facebook. Subsequent tests confirmed the nodule was cancerous, but the early detection allowed for prompt treatment and a more favorable outcome.

Demand for Prenuvo’s services has surged, prompting the company to announce the opening of 11 new locations by 2024. Celebrities like Kim Kardashian have endorsed the company, and notable investors include Cindy Crawford, Eric Schmidt, Anne Wojcicki, and Tony Fadell. Prenuvo utilizes custom MRI machines capable of scanning the entire body in about an hour, providing comprehensive health assessments. However, the service is currently not covered by insurance, necessitating out-of-pocket payments.

Prenuvo’s mission is to empower customers by revealing more than 500 conditions, including cancer, multiple sclerosis, and brain aneurysms, through advanced imaging technology. Despite long waitlists, many individuals are eager to experience the benefits of early disease detection. While Prenuvo aims to lower costs through various means, radiologist shortages and the limitations of MRI scans underscore the complexities of healthcare diagnostics.

Prenuvo’s technology offers peace of mind and relaxation during the scanning process. Patients receive results within a few weeks and appreciate the non-invasive and comfortable experience. As the company continues to evolve, it strives to complement existing healthcare practices, emphasizing that its scans are not meant to replace targeted screenings like colonoscopies and mammograms.

While the journey to revolutionize medical diagnostics is ongoing, Prenuvo’s innovative approach has garnered attention and sparked patient and investor interest. Its commitment to early detection and enhancing overall wellness suggests a promising future for this pioneering healthcare company.

__________

RadParts, a TTG Imaging Solutions Company, is the world’s largest independent distributor of OEM replacement parts. We specialize in low-cost parts for repairing linear accelerators and radiation equipment. Our mission is to provide high-quality, user-friendly, low-cost components and support for linear accelerators and radiation equipment. Contact RadParts at 877-704-3838 to learn more.

Written by the digital marketing team at Creative Programs & Systems: www.cpsmi.com

In certain cancer cases, pinpointing the exact origin of the cancer is challenging, which complicates treatment decisions. Specific cancer treatments are tailored to different cancer types, and not knowing where the cancer originated from hinders treatment options.

Fortunately, a collaboration between researchers at MIT and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute has unveiled a machine-learning model, named OncoNPC, that can predict a tumor’s origin by analyzing the genetic sequence of about 400 genes.

Upon testing, the model showcased an impressive ability to correctly identify the origins of tumors 80% of the time. For tumors where predictions were made with high confidence, the accuracy surged to about 95%. This is monumental for cases classified as cancers of unknown primary (CUP), representing 3 to 5 percent of all cancer patients.

Utilizing the OncoNPC model on about 900 CUP tumors revealed that it could make high-confidence predictions for 40% of them. Further validating the model’s precision, the predicted cancer types corresponded with patients’ survival times, aligning with known prognoses for those cancer types.

Additionally, the model’s implementation could have reshaped treatment decisions for patients. A subset of CUP patients who received treatment congruent with the model’s predictions had more favorable outcomes compared to those who received mismatched treatments.

The researchers emphasized that a significant portion of patients could benefit from existing precision treatments if the cancer’s origin was identified through their model.

The team, funded by multiple institutions, including the National Institutes of Health, is optimistic about enhancing the model’s capabilities. Incorporating other data types like radiology and pathology images aims to equip the model to offer comprehensive insights, potentially guiding optimal treatment options.

To view the original source, visit: MIT News  

_________

RadParts, a TTG Imaging Solutions Company, is the world’s largest independent distributor of OEM replacement parts. We specialize in low-cost parts for repairing linear accelerators and radiation equipment. Our mission is to provide high-quality, user-friendly, low-cost components and support for linear accelerators and radiation equipment. Contact RadParts at 877-704-3838 to learn more.

Written by the digital marketing team at Creative Programs & Systems: https://www.cpsmi.com/ 

An anti-amyloid antibody drug that reduces amyloid beta proteins in the brain has provided a novel treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. This innovative brain imaging solution for Alzheimer’s disease management can analyze Amyloid-Related Imaging Abnormalities (ARIA), a known side-effect in patients using the anti-amyloid drug. Previously, careful monitoring and management of ARIA was crucial due to the drug’s side effects. 

An Artificial Intelligence (AI) company, Neurophet, specializes in brain diseases. Neurophet has created a new technology that examines ARIA-E (edema), generally detected by T2-FLAIR, and MRI sequence, along with ARIA-H (hemorrhages), mostly recognized by GRE or SWI. To properly observe cortical amyloid beta deposition, an amyloid-PET scan is essential. 

The AI technology developed by Neurophet predicts amyloid positivity through Magnetic Resonance (MR) images before conducting amyloid-PET scans. Since amyloid-PET scans are expensive and their use and recompense are severely restricted, the use of MR images for predicting amyloid positivity could offer a cost-effective solution in regards to clinical trials and prognosis of Alzheimer’s. 

Neurophet set the stage at the 2023 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) with its cutting-edge brain imaging analysis technology, which can be used in both clinical trials and Alzheimer’s disease drug prescriptions. 

AQUA software, a brain MRI analysis tool, examines brain atrophy observed in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s by measuring cortical amyloid beta deposition, a known causative agent of the disease. Neurophet hopes to bring the products to market side-by-side with new Alzheimer’s disease treatments. The company has invested in research and development focused on ARIA side effects. 

Jake Junkil Been, CEO of Neurophet, said, “Neurophet’s major products and technologies are expected to be very useful in the process of clinical trials, diagnosis, side effect monitoring, and prognosis observation of Alzheimer’s disease treatment. We are going all out to develop solutions related to Alzheimer’s disease treatment to preemptively target the high-growth Alzheimer’s disease treatment market.” 

______________

RadParts, a TTG Imaging Solutions Company, is the world’s largest independent distributor of OEM replacement parts. We specialize in low-cost parts for repairing linear accelerators and radiation equipment. Our mission is to provide high-quality, user-friendly, low-cost components and support for linear accelerators and radiation equipment. Contact RadParts at  877-704-3838 to learn more.

Written by the digital marketing team at Creative Programs & Systems: https://www.cpsmi.com/ 

Cutting-edge technology and nuclear medicine are massively improving prostate cancer treatments, especially over the past two decades. Before 2000, prostate cancer was detected through manual palpation, a Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test, and an ultrasound. Notably, prostate cancer is not visible in ultrasounds, so urologists would have to sample random prostate areas to discover the cancer. 

In the early 2000s, prostate MRI emerged and progressed through the 2010s. This technology allowed radiologists to discover whether prostate tumors were present. 

Brett Mollard, MD, a diagnostic radiologist in Michigan, said, “They could now see and target the tumors rather than randomly sampling the prostate and hoping to biopsy the tumor. We’re actively witnessing a second revolution thanks to new imaging agents, known as radiotracers or radiopharmaceuticals, for PET.”

In 2012, Positron Emission Technology (PET) radiotracers received approval, with better ones emerging in 2016. In 2021, Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA) was introduced, which helped to diagnose with lightning speed compared to previous methods. 

Andres Correa, MD, assistant professor at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, said, “While MRI has significantly reduced the rate of negative biopsies and the diagnosis of low-risk prostate cancer, the imaging modality remains limited. Up to 50 percent of patients with prostate imaging-reporting and data system (PI-RADS) 4 and 25 percent of patients with PI-RADS 5 will have benign findings on targeted biopsy. I believe that the incorporation of PSMA agents into MRI screening will allow us to better define patients who need a prostate biopsy and further reduce the number of unnecessary prostate biopsies.” 

Avenda Health’s new AI-backed prostate cancer technology, cleared by the FDA, is emerging in Los Angeles with promising results. Using machine learning, the Unfold AI platform gives physicians the most accurate picture of prostate cancer to date. 

Wayne Brisbane, MD, assistant professor of urology at UCLA Health, said, “With a wide breadth of ablative options available, Unfold AI represents the first technology to improve tumor localization and patient selection. I am hopeful that Unfold AI will be intraprostatic staging what prostate-specific membrane antigen PET/CT has been for extraprostatic staging. Additionally, there are potential applications for surgery, radiation therapy, and patient decision-making.”

Mollard said, “Prostate cancer treatment is already at a great place, especially for local and regional disease, where five-year survival rates are already over 98 percent. Over the next 10 years, I think the focus will remain on earlier and more accurate diagnosis/detection and discovering new drugs to treat metastatic prostate cancer.”  

________________

RadParts, a TTG Imaging Solutions Company, is the world’s largest independent distributor of OEM replacement parts. We specialize in low-cost parts for repairing linear accelerators and radiation equipment. Our mission is to provide high-quality, user-friendly, low-cost components and support for linear accelerators and radiation equipment. Contact RadParts at  877-704-3838 to learn more.

Written by the digital marketing team at Creative Programs & Systems: https://www.cpsmi.com/ 

The Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) recently released a Statement on Screening for Breast Cancer, sparked by new recommendations from the American College of Radiology (ACR) and the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF).

The ACR and Society of Breast Imaging recommend an annual mammography screening starting at age 40, but in updated guidelines, the ACR lowered its recommended age to 25. 

Stamatia V. Destounis, MD, chair of the ACR Breast Commission and a member of the RSNA Public Information Advisors Network, said, “The ACR recommends that the patient at average risk for breast cancer gets screened with mammography starting at age 40 and yearly thereafter with no upward limit, as age should not be a factor of when a patient stops screening instead of their overall health and other comorbidities. The ACR guidelines speak specifically for the high-risk patient because of family history of breast cancer, and or dense breast tissue as these are groups that the USPSTF fails to recommend any supplemental screening.” 

The USPSTF recently released a statement suggesting biennial mammography screenings for women ages 40 to 74. The recommendation states that the “current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening mammography in women aged 75 years of age or older.” Public comments on the statement are being accepted until June 6, 2023. 

Dr. Destounis said, “The new Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines from USPSTF do not go far enough in their recommendation for breast cancer screening. Black women are 42 percent more likely to die of breast cancer in comparison to white women and the USPSTF guidelines could exacerbate the disparities by allowing cancers in those high-risk women another year to advance.”

Breast cancer screening targets small cancers in their early stages before it’s symptomatic or significantly spread throughout the body. According to 2015 National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data, the breast cancer death rate in the United States (which remained unchanged for the previous 50 years) has decreased by 43 percent due to early mammography screening. 

_____________

RadParts, a TTG Imaging Solutions Company, is the world’s largest independent distributor of OEM replacement parts. We specialize in low-cost parts for repairing linear accelerators and radiation equipment. Our mission is to provide high-quality, user-friendly, low-cost components and support for linear accelerators and radiation equipment. Contact RadParts at  877-704-3838 to learn more.

Written by the digital marketing team at Creative Programs & Systems: https://www.cpsmi.com/ 

For the first time, researchers at the University of Michigan developed a way to measure radiation during cancer treatment using precise 3D imaging. 

Medical professionals could map the radiation dose by capturing and magnifying small sound waves created by the x-ray heating body tissue. This novel approach offers a new view into data and treatments that doctors could not see before.

Hundreds of thousands of patients receive radiation in cancer treatment every year, which introduces high energy waves and x-ray particles to the body in large increments to debilitate cancer cells. A lack of precision overshadows the benefits of radiation, which also generally damages healthy surrounding cells and can increase the risk of developing new tumors. 

Xueding Wang, the Jonathan Rubin Collegiate Professor of Biomedical Engineering, professor of radiology, and corresponding author in the study published in Nature Biotechnology, and leader in the Optical Imaging Laboratory, said, “Once you start delivering radiation, the body is pretty much a black box. We don’t know exactly where the x-rays are hitting inside the body, and we don’t know how much radiation we’re delivering to the target. And each body is different, so making predictions for both aspects is tricky.” 

Real-time 3D imaging allows doctors to focus radiation on cancerous cells more accurately and minimize exposure to nearby cells. Thermal energy results from x-rays when absorbed into tissues, which causes the cells to expand, creating a sound wave. 

Standard ultrasound technology cannot pick up on these acoustic waves, which are relatively weak. Now, this new technology detects the wave with a selection of ultrasonic transducers aimed at the patient’s side. The signal is augmented and relocated into an ultrasonic device that reconstructs the image. 

Oncology clinics can then maneuver radiation doses to ensure safer and more effective care. The new therapy can also be effortlessly added to existing radiation therapy equipment without significantly altering the clinicians’ current procedures. 

RadParts, a TTG Imaging Solutions Company, is the world’s largest independent distributor of OEM replacement parts. We specialize in low-cost parts for repairing linear accelerators and radiation equipment. Our mission is to provide high-quality, user-friendly, low-cost components and support for linear accelerators and radiation equipment. Contact RadParts at  877-704-3838 to learn more.

Written by the digital marketing team at Creative Programs & Systems: https://www.cpsmi.com/ 

High-energy radiation is used to destroy cancer cells in radiotherapy, followed by a treatment plan to minimize the effects of radiation on healthy tissues. It is impossible to predict the immediate effects of treatment (including potential side effects) as each individual is different, and cancer treatment varies. 

Associate Professor Teemu Mullyä, from the University of Oulu, Finland, said, “Cancer therapies produce extensive changes in the physiological and morphological properties of tissues, which are also dependent on the individual.” 

At Oulu University Hospital, researchers are working to alter cancer treatment by centering it around the patient. In a study published in the Journal of Biomedical Optics (JBO), they report formulating a method to measure specific patients’ biological responses to therapy, allowing them to assess real-time radiotherapy patient effects. 

Using a functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) device, researchers were able to measure changes in the amount of hemoglobin in the brain while the patient underwent whole-brain radiotherapy using a linear accelerator.

Since hemoglobin levels are a valuable indicator of changes in blood volume and radiotherapy changes blood circulation, fNIRS helps provide insights into the immediate effects of radiation. Blood circulation in the tissues was measured in ten patients via tissue oxygenation. 

Mullyä said, “This is the first time human cerebral hemodynamics and cerebral tissue oxygenation changes have been measured during irradiation in clinical radiotherapy. The instantaneous measurement of tissue oxygenation levels during radiotherapy is especially helpful in cases of tumor hypoxia, which is when the oxygen levels in a tumor are low due to certain conditions. Such tumors are particularly resistant to radiotherapy. By instantly measuring tissue oxygenation levels, our proposed method can be used to assess the effectiveness of cancer treatment. This can eventually enable physicians tailor radiation doses to optimize treatment and improve outcomes for their patients.” 

In the future, the researchers will apply their technique to more patients, helping to advance personalized cancer treatment. 

_______________________

RadParts, a TTG Imaging Solutions Company, is the world’s largest independent distributor of OEM replacement parts. We specialize in low-cost parts for repairing linear accelerators and radiation equipment. Our mission is to provide high-quality, user-friendly, low-cost components and support for linear accelerators and radiation equipment. Contact RadParts at  877-704-3838 to learn more.

Written by the digital marketing team at Creative Programs & Systems: https://www.cpsmi.com/

Establishing the Fair Market Value (FMV) of heavy medical equipment is a multi-layered process. Linear accelerators accrue many costs when adding up the various parts. To better understand how to form a proper valuation, keep reading to become familiar with commonly used appraisal terms. 

Fair Market Value (FMV)
Also known as “retail” value, FMV is the price a buyer should anticipate paying to have the device relocated and installed at their location. Software relicensing, commissioning, and accessories required to operate the equipment are all extra fees. 

Orderly Liquidation Value (OLV)
Sometimes referred to as “wholesale” value, OLV is the price a buyer can expect when selling an “as-is, where-is” product. 

In Place Value (IPV)
Another name for IPV is “turn-key” or patient-ready value. It takes into account the values associated with the machine, including the cost of installation, commissioning, software licensing, regulation, accessories, and residual warranty coverage. 

Some factors that impact the medical equipment’s valuation include: 

• Age 
• Configuration
• Physical condition
• Useful life left
• Software version
• Functionality
• Removal path
• Resale market demand
• Wear and tear
• Geography

_______________________

RadParts, a TTG Imaging Solutions Company, is the world’s largest independent distributor of OEM replacement parts. We specialize in low-cost parts for repairing linear accelerators and radiation equipment. Our mission is to provide high-quality, user-friendly, low-cost components and support for linear accelerators and radiation equipment. Contact RadParts at  877-704-3838 to learn more.

Written by the digital marketing team at Creative Programs & Systems: https://www.cpsmi.com/ 

The leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States is lung cancer. According to a study published in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine in January, roughly half of Medicare patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) do not receive the appropriate imaging before radiation treatment. 

Research has shown that up to 72 percent of patients with lung cancer who receive NSCLC with FDG PET/CT imaging have seen various treatment changes. Compared to patients who underwent CT imaging alone, patients with FDG PET/CT imaging had substantially improved cancer-specific survival rates. 

As a result, National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines have changed to suggest all recurrent NSCLC patients receive FDG PET/CT to evaluate for metastatic disease. 

The study conducted by researchers examined over 5,000 patients with NSCLC requiring radiation therapy. Those who received only CT imaging were in one group, and those who received additional FDG PET/CT were in another. Scientists investigated the overall and cancer-specific survival rates of both groups. 

When comparing survival rates after three years, those who received only CT imaging had substantially lower overall and cancer-specific survival rates compared to patients who underwent FDG PET/CT imaging. 

In total, 56.3 percent of patients experienced FDG PET/CT before radiation therapy, and 43.6 percent had CT imaging alone. 

Rustain Morgan, MD, MS, a nuclear radiologist at the University of Colorado in Aurora, Colorado, said, “This research shows a clear lack of adherence to guidelines and raises important questions as to why. We believe these findings are the tip of the iceberg for guideline nonadherence. More work needs to be done in order to better understand the scope of the issue, with further work focused on interventions which ensure guideline adherence.”

_____________________________________

RadParts, a TTG Imaging Solutions Company, is the world’s largest independent distributor of OEM replacement parts. We specialize in low-cost parts for repairing linear accelerators and radiation equipment. Our mission is to provide high-quality, user-friendly, low-cost components and support for linear accelerators and radiation equipment. Contact RadParts at  877-704-3838 to learn more.

Written by the digital marketing team at Creative Programs & Systems: https://www.cpsmi.com/