New in this Issue

Imaging

MR Predicts Cardiac Ablation Success

Research

Combining PHIFU and Contrast Enhances Ultrasound’s Non-Thermal Effects

MRI Emerges As Vital Resource Of Back Pain Treatment

Pediatric Radiation Exposure And Effective Dose Reduction During Voiding Cystourethrography

MRI scan to gauge heart attack risk

Imaging Combo Increases Prostate Cancer Detection

Technology

Linac-MR system operational with MR imaging during 6 MV irradiation

DTI Predicts Early Visual Concerns from Optical Neuritis in Patients with MS

Molecular Imaging Enables Earlier, Individualized Treatment Of Thyroid Cancer

Tiny Chemo Beads Boost Liver Cancer Outcomes

Improved MRI scanning of tumours

Novel technique changes lymph node biopsy, reduces radiation exposure

Images taken inside heart during attack

General

FDA Public Health Advisory - Potential Hazards of Skin Products Containing Numbing Ingredients for Relieving Pain from Mammography and Other Medical Tests and Conditions

Lawmakers Introduce Slew Of Health Bills As Congress Convenes

Significant Payment Decreases to Freestanding Cancer Centers That Provide HDR Brachytherapy

MedPac Recommends and Increase to Equipment Utilization of 90%

CMS Official sees Medicare Coverage Shifting from Local to National Under the Obama Administration

In F.D.A. Files, Claims of Rush to Approve Devices

FDA Issues Guidance Designed to Ensure Safe Use of Hand-Held X-Ray Equipment

Family History Of Prostate Cancer Does Not Affect Some Treatment Outcomes

Men who live alone fall short on prostate screening

Funding Opportunities

2009-2011 AAPM Support for Clinical Residency in Imaging Application deadline: February 3, 2009

2009 Research Seed Funding Initiative Application deadline: February 16, 2009

2009 Summer Undergraduate Fellowship Program Application deadline: February 2, 2009

2009 Minority Undergraduate Summer Experience (MUSE) Program Application deadline: February 6, 2009

ASTRO/AAPM Offer Grants for Radiation Oncology Physics Residency Training Programs Application Deadline: June 15, 2009

News from the NIH

Eligible PIs urged to establish Early Stage Investigator status; Update Personal Profile in eRA Commons

To submit articles for future e-News, please email
2009.enews@aapm.org

Make a Tax deductible contribution to AAPM’s Education & Research Fund

Meetings Calendar

AAPM Residency Training Program Workshop - Organization and Completion of CAMPEP Self-Study February 6-7, 2009 in Dallas, TX

SPIE Medical Imaging 2009 Conference February 7-12 2009 in Orlando, FL

XXXI Winter Institute of Medical Physics February 7-11 2009 in Frisco, CO

Bringing Technology to Life: Translational Research for Medical and Biological Engineering- AIMBE 2009 Annual Event; February 11-13, 2009 in Washington, DC

Medical Physics, Radiation Protection, and Radiobiology; February 11-13 in Jaipur, India email

Operations Research in Radiation Oncology Workshop; February 16-18, 2009 in Melbourne, Australia

SPECT/CT Hands-on Short Course; February 27 - March 1, 2009 in Houston, TX

30th Int’l Acoustical Imaging Symposium; March 1-4 2009 in Monterey, CA

Spring 2009 Florida Chapter Meeting March 5 - 7, 2009 in Kissimmee, FL

SEAAPM 2009 Annual Symposium and Scientific Meeting; March 12-14 2009 in Chapel Hill, NC

2009 NW AAPM and AAMD Region I Spring Meeting & Symposium; March 20-21, 2009 in Skamania Lodge, Stevenson, WA

Annual Congress & Workshop of the South African Association for Physicists in Medicine and Biology (SAAPMB); March 24-28, 2009 in Bloemfontein, South Africa

AAPM Website Updates

Report of Task Group 128: Quality assurance tests for prostate brachytherapy ultrasound systems

2008 Virtual Library Content Now Available

2009 AAPM Summer School - Clinical Dosimetry Measurements in Radiotherapy

Report of Task Group 109: Code of Ethics for the American Association of Physicists in Medicine

It is time to Pledge to “Image Gently”

View video of the Charter Members interview!

New Website feature! - Compilation of Links on Response to Radiation Incidents

2009 AAPM Annual Meeting - Abstract Submission Now Open

Placement & Committee Ads

Placement Service Ads as of January 1, 2009

AAPM Committee Classifieds as of January 1, 2009

Imaging

MR Predicts Cardiac Ablation Success

Using MR imaging to measure scarring to the left atrium following radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for atrial fibrillation can predict treatment success... [see full article]

Research

Combining PHIFU and Contrast Enhances Ultrasound’s Non-Thermal Effects

In recent years HIFU has been widely used for the treatment of solid tumours, such as liver tumour, bone tumour, and breast cancer. The mechanism for therapeutic actions of HIFU includes thermal effects and non-thermal effects with the latter dominated by cavitational effects... [see full article]

MRI Emerges As Vital Resource Of Back Pain Treatment

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a growing technology providing an increasing number of clinical benefits when used in the evaluation of back pain according to an article in the January 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons... [see full article]

Pediatric Radiation Exposure And Effective Dose Reduction During Voiding Cystourethrography

A study by Dr. Valerie L. Ward et al. compared radiation exposure and effective dose in children who underwent voiding cystourethrography (VCUG) performed with grid-controlled variable-rate pulsed fluoroscopy (GCPFL) to radiation exposure and effective dose in children who underwent VCUG performed with continuous fluoroscopy (CFL)... [see full article]

MRI scan to gauge heart attack risk

MRI scans could soon be used to show who is at risk of a heart attack. At the moment the only way is to use an invasive probe that can itself trigger cardiac arrest... [see full article]

Imaging Combo Increases Prostate Cancer Detection

Combining an apparent diffusion coefficient map reading with T2-weighted MRIs improves their diagnostic capability for prostate cancer detection, according to research published in the January issue of Radiology... [see full article]

Technology

Linac-MR system operational with MR imaging during 6 MV irradiation

Fallone from the Cross Cancer Institute (CCI) , Alberta Cancer Board of the Alberta Health Services (Edmonton, AB) reports that CCI medical physicists have produced the first image from a linac-MR hybrid system on December 10, 2008. The MR images during 6 MV irradiation do not show significant distortions and are very similar to those obtained prior to irradiation... [see full article]

DTI Predicts Early Visual Concerns from Optical Neuritis in Patients with MS

Researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report online in the journal Neurology that an approach known as magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) allowed them to estimate three months in advance the chronic effects of inflammation of the optic nerve... [see full article]

Molecular Imaging Enables Earlier, Individualized Treatment Of Thyroid Cancer

In a study to determine the diagnostic value of molecular imaging in nodal staging of patients with thyroid cancer, researchers were able for the first time to accurately distinguish between cancerous cells in regional lymph nodes and normal residual thyroid tissue directly after surgery... [see full article]

Tiny Chemo Beads Boost Liver Cancer Outcomes

A minimally invasive therapy that uses beads soaked with anti-cancer agents has been successful at halting liver tumors, according to new studies... [see full article]

Improved MRI scanning of tumours

At TU Delft, postgraduate researcher Kristina Djanashvili has developed a new contrast agent with enhanced tumour affinity and contrast induction characteristics. In principle, this means that cancers can be picked up sooner and visualised more accurately... [see full article]

Novel technique changes lymph node biopsy, reduces radiation exposure

Information obtained from a new application of photoacoustic tomography (PAT) is worth its weight in gold to breast cancer patients... [see full article]

Images taken inside heart during attack

Scientists at Imperial College have produced the first images of a heart attack shown from within the heart by using a Magnetic Resonance Imaging machine, or MRI, the Daily Mail reported Monday... [see full article]

General

FDA Public Health Advisory - Potential Hazards of Skin Products Containing Numbing Ingredients for Relieving Pain from Mammography and Other Medical Tests and Conditions

FDA is issuing this advisory to remind patients, healthcare professionals, and caregivers about potentially serious hazards of using skin numbing products, also known as topical anesthetics, for relieving pain from medical tests and conditions... [see full article]

Lawmakers Introduce Slew Of Health Bills As Congress Convenes

Members of Congress got right to work on the first day of the new session, introducing 54 bills having to do with health care, Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP. Many of the bills are placeholding shells, but a few are more substantial.

Among the most interesting, by filing order:
* H.J. Res 4, sponsored by Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN), would amend the Constitution to declare that health care is a right.
* H.R. 15, sponsored by Rep. John Dingell (D-MI), would create a provide a program of national health insurance.
* H.R. 92, sponsored by Rep. Donna Christensen (D-VI), would remove the cap on Medicaid payments for Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa.
* H.R. 109, sponsored by Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE), would allow certain health insurance plans to be sold across state lines regardless of mandates.
* H.R. 141, sponsored by Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-CA), would require anyone applying for or renewing SCHIP benefits to present documentation proving their citizenship and identity.
* H.R. 164, sponsored by Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX), would allow seniors to refuse to participate in any part of the Medicare program without losing old-age benefits under Social Security.
* H.R. 180, sponsored by Rep. Jose Serrano (D-NY), would waive the requirements for proof of citizenship during the first year of life for children born in the United States to a Medicaid-eligible mother.
* H.R. 193, sponsored by Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA), would provide for an AmeriCare that assures the provision of health insurance coverage to all residents.
* H.R.194, sponsored by Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA), would guarantee comprehensive health care coverage for all children born after 2009.
* H.R. 198, sponsored by Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-FL), would allow a tax deduction for amounts paid for health insurance and prescription drug costs to individual.
* S.4, sponsored by Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV), would “guarantee affordable, quality health coverage for all Americans” and offers a shell for Congress’ main health reform package.
* S. 45, sponsored by Sen. John Ensign (R-NV), would reform medical liability.
* S. 54, sponsored by Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-HI), would establish minimum nurse staffing ratios at certain Medicare providers.
* S. 75, sponsored by Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI), would require the use of generic drugs under Medicare D when available unless the brand- name drug is determined to be medically necessary.
* S. 77, sponsored by Sen. John Kerry (D-MA), would provide equal coverage for mental health services under SCHIP.
* S. 79, sponsored by Sen. John Kerry (D-MA), would establish a Federal Reinsurance Program for Catastrophic Health Care Costs.
* S. 80, sponsored by Sen. David Vitter (R-LA), would allow the importation of prescription drugs.
* S. 82, sponsored by Sen. David Vitter (R-LA), would reauthorize SCHIP but limit income eligibility expansions until the lowest income eligible individuals are enrolled.
* S. 93, sponsored by Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), would offer quality, affordable health insurance for small employers and individuals.
* S. 142, sponsored by Sen. John Kerry (D-MA), would ensure that every child in America has health insurance coverage. -- Julian Pecquet (jpecquet@iwpnews.com)

Date: January 7, 2009
© Inside Washington Publishers

Significant Payment Decreases to Freestanding Cancer Centers That Provide HDR Brachytherapy

In the 2009 Physician Fee Schedule final rule, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) established three (3) new procedure codes for High Dose Rate (HDR) brachytherapy 77785, 77786 and 77787 effective January 1, 2009 with interim relative value units (RVUs) of 5.16, 15.47 and 22.99 respectively... [see full article]

MedPac Recommends and Increase to Equipment Utilization of 90%

Currently, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) assumes a 50% utilization rate for medical equipment. The 50% utilization is used to determine imaging payments to freestanding centers and physician offices... [see full article]

CMS Official sees Medicare Coverage Shifting from Local to National Under the Obama Administration

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid’s (CMS) top coverage official predicts the creation of a federal health board -- as HHS Secretary-designate Tom Daschle suggested in his health reform book “Critical” -- could mean a shift away from CMS’ historic reliance on local-level Medicare coverage decisions to more national coverage determinations in the future... [see full article]

In F.D.A. Files, Claims of Rush to Approve Devices

An official at the Food and Drug Administration overruled front-line agency scientists and approved the sale of an imaging device for breast cancer after receiving a phone call from a Connecticut congressman, according to internal agency documents... [see full article]

FDA Issues Guidance Designed to Ensure Safe Use of Hand-Held X-Ray Equipment

The FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) has released guidance designed to promote safe use of handheld x-ray equipment. The guidance describes two primary forms of radiation exposure that could pose concern for operators of such equipment: leakage radiation transmitted through equipment housing and shielding and backscatter radiation from the patient and nearby structures... [see full article]

Family History Of Prostate Cancer Does Not Affect Some Treatment Outcomes

In a first of its kind study, a first-degree family history of prostate cancer has no impact on the treatment outcomes of prostate cancer patients treated with brachytherapy (also called seed implants), and patients with this type of family history have clinical and pathologic characteristics similar to men with no family history at all, according to a January 1 study in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, the official journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology... [see full article]

Men who live alone fall short on prostate screening

Men at higher-than-average risk of prostate cancer are more likely to seek regular screening if they are married or live with a significant other, a new study finds... [see full article]