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November 2009

Experts question motives of mammogram guidelines - Quotes Mass General Imaging radiologist Dr. Daniel Kopans - Reuters, 11/16/09

Cancer experts fear new breast imaging guidelines that recommend against routine screening mammograms for women in their 40s may have their roots in the current drive in Washington to reform healthcare. Critics of the guidelines, issued on Monday by the US Preventive Services Task Force, an independent panel sponsored by the US Agency for Healthcare Quality, say the new guidelines are a step backward and will lead to more cancer deaths.

Additional coverage of this topic:

October 2009

Joshua Hirsch, MD, FSIR - Appointed Associate Vice Chair of Interventional Care - 10/09

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Joshua Hirsch has been appointed to a newly created position of Associate Vice Chair of Interventional Care for Massachusetts General Hospital Imaging.

In this new position, Dr. Hirsch will oversee all interventional services, unifying the previously separate interventional operations that span seven departmental divisions: Abdominal, Breast, Interventional Neuroradiology/ Endovascular Surgery, Musculoskeletal, Neuroradiology, Thoracic and Vascular. (read more)

Mass General research underscores importance of annual mammograms - CancerConsultants.com - 10/18/09

Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital have reported that nearly three-quarters of breast cancer deaths occur among the minority of women who do not get regular screening mammograms. The details of this study were presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2009 Breast Cancer Symposium held October 8-10 in San Francisco. (read more)

Hospitals monitor radiation exposure - Quotes Mass General Imaging Radiologist-in-Chief Dr. James Thrall - Washington Post - 10/6/09

Since August, patients who undergo CT scans at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center have gotten a little something extra: a record of the amount of radiation they were exposed to during the test. (read more)

September 2009

Imaging technology reveals mummy embalming techniques - Mass General Imaging radiologist aids museum exhibit - Artdaily.org - 9/3/09

"The Secrets of Tomb 10A: Egypt 2000 BC," an exhibit opening Oct. 18 at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, showcases funerary objects discovered in Deir el-Bersha, a necropolis in central Egypt, in 1915. Massachusetts General neurologist Paul Chapman and Mass General Imaging radiologist Rajiv Gupta participated in research on some of the relics, performing high-resolution CT scans on a mummified head. Their work, presented in a video within the exhibition, not only sheds new light on mummification techniques but also allowed another team to create a 3D plaster model of the head without unwrapping it. (read more)

August 2009

A tiny monitor for cancer - Features technology developed by Mass General researcher Dr. Ralph Weissleder - The New York Times - 8/29/09

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have created prototypes for cancer monitors the size of a grain of rice. Tiny coated particles inside the devices can bind with molecules linked to cancer, creating minuscule clumps that can be detected by a non-invasive scan like an MRI. The magnetic nanoparticle technology used in the device was developed by Ralph Weissleder, a professor at Harvard Medical School and director of the Center for Systems Biology at Massachusetts General Hospital. (read more)

Study looks at radiation exposure - Quotes Mass General Imaging Radiologist-in-Chief Dr. James Thrall - Associated Press - 8/26/09

A study from Emory University, which analyzed insurance claims from 952,420 people between ages 18 and 64, estimated that medical imaging exposes 4 million nonelderly adults to radiation doses greater than 20 millisieverts a year. The annual safe limit is 50 millisieverts. (read more)

Patients, doctors say vertebroplasty works - Quotes Mass General Imaging interventional radiologist Dr. Joshua Hirsch - The Boston Globe - 8/24/09

Recent findings about the effectiveness of vertebroplasty, according to many specialists, don't jibe with their years of experience. The treatment, they said, has often provided their patients with relief from a very painful condition when more conservative options--medications, braces, or bed rest--have not. (read more)

See also: Elderly patients' quality of life must be considered - A letter to the editor in response to the above article.

MRI may help diagnose, treat diabetes - Quotes MGH Dr. Anna Moore - UPI - 8/6/09

Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School said with the non-invasive MRI, physicians would have the ability to evaluate beta cell mass, a major factor of insulin secretion that is significantly reduced in type 2 diabetes and almost gone in type 1 diabetes. (read more)

Studies question using cement for spine injuries - The New York Times - 8/5/09

Two studies of vertebroplasty, published last week in The New England Journal of Medicine, found it no better than a placebo. But it remains to be seen whether the findings will change medical practice, because they defy the common wisdom and challenge a popular treatment that many patients and doctors consider the only hope for a very painful condition. (read more)

Rapid TB detector employs MRI principles - Discusses work by MGH's Dr. Ralph Weissleder and Dr. Hakho Lee - Technology Review - 8/4/09

Detecting the tuberculosis bacteria is time-consuming and expensive, even in hospitals with sophisticated lab equipment. And in the poor countries where the infection is most prevalent, people often don't have access to this equipment. Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard University have now demonstrated that a handheld device, based on the principles of magnetic resonance imaging, can be used to count as few as 20 bacteria in a sputum sample in a half hour. (read more)

Researchers uncover spleen's role - Study authors include MGH's Mikael Pittet, Matthias Nahrendorf, and Filip Swirski - The New York Times - 8/3/09

Reporting in the current issue of the journal Science, researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School describe studies showing that the spleen is a reservoir for huge numbers of immune cells called monocytes, and that in the event of a serious trauma to the body like a heart attack, gashing wound or microbial invasion, the spleen will disgorge those monocyte multitudes into the bloodstream to tackle the crisis. (read more)

MAY 2009

CT colonography removing barriers to colon testing - By MGH Radiologist Dr. Michael Zalis - Boston Globe, 5/8/09

SINCE COLON CANCER develops over years from typically slow-growing, benign polyps, fewer people should die of the disease. Yet it remains the number two cancer killer in the United States. Why?

Part of the trouble is that many people at risk for colon cancer - usually people over age 50 - lack access to care. In addition, few people like thinking about their colon and even fewer are comfortable considering an examination of their colon. One might make light of this taboo, except that roughly 55,000 Americans, including approximately 1,000 people in Massachusetts, die each year from this disease. (read more)

Debra Gervais, MD, appointed as Director of Pediatric Radiology - 5/09

The Massachusetts General Hospital Department of Radiology is proud to announce the appointment of Debra Gervais, MD, as the new Director of the Division of Pediatric Radiology.

Dr. Gervais completed both her residency in Radiology and her fellowship in Abdominal Imaging and Interventional Radiology at MGH in 1995-1996. Following a brief time in private practice, she was hired as a staff radiologist at Children's Hospital Boston, where she specialized in Interventional Radiology. (read more)

'Brain bucket' improves MRI brain scans, could impact Alzheimer's fight - 5/4/09

It may look like something out of a sci-fi film costume closet, but a new brain scanner, affectionately known as the "Brain Bucket," is the latest in the high-tech fight against brain disorders. Developed and implemented at Boston's Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), the device, officially titled the "multi-channel phased array coil," is basically a helmet featuring a myriad of sensors and coils connected to an MRI machine. (read more; includes video)

Disposable robot aims to guide way to biopsies - Mass High Tech - Reports on company co-founded by MGH radiologist Dr. Rajiv Gupta - 5/1/09

After several years of development, Cambridge-based startup Robopsy is entering the home stretch in its quest to get to market with its disposable robotic diagnosis devices. According to Robopsy's founders, the portable system permits a radiologist to guide the needle very precisely during the lung cancer biopsy process. Using three-dimensional imaging, the Robopsy system-which includes the disposable robot attached to the patient, the control module hardware and a laptop-based interface and software-allows the radiologist to see the needle's action in near real time. (read more)

APRIL 2009

Cardiac CTA scans identify heart disease in ER - MSN - Reports on a study authored by MGH radiologist Dr. Udo Hoffman - 4/28/09

A computerized chest scan successfully singles out those people coming into emergency rooms with chest pains who have serious heart disease, a new study indicates. Of the 368 people in the study, computed tomography angiography (CTA) was 100 percent effective in identifying the 31 who actually had acute coronary syndrome, according to a report in the April 28 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. None of the people who were cleared by the scans had a coronary event in the following six months. (read more)

MARCH 2009

Lugo may have torn meniscus - Boston Globe mentions MGH radiologist Bill Palmer - 3/15/09

FORT MYERS, Fla. - With a giant pack of ice on his right knee, Julio Lugo limped around the clubhouse at City of Palms Park yesterday. Without it, the shortstop stood on a chair and bounced along to some music blasting out of speakers in David Ortiz's locker. He was surprisingly upbeat for a player who might have seen the end of his bid to earn the starting shortstop spot to begin the season. (read more)

The Value of CT Scans - New York Times - letter to the editor co-authored by MGH radiologist Scott Gazelle - 3/12/09

Debate about the appropriate use of CT scans is proliferating among insurers, physicians and policy makers, as shown by your recent coverage.

The wide diffusion of any new technology without a complete understanding of its functionality can lead to situations of inappropriate use, as we are seeing in some cases with CT scans. But this is not reason to create obtrusive coverage policies that will block access to these lifesaving tools that are truly transforming care for millions of patients. (read more)

JANUARY 2009

Microspheres Cancer Therapy Improves Survival Rate - WBZ-TV, Ch. 4 - Quotes MGH radiologist Stephan Wicky, MD - 1/20/09

Some 200,000 Americans are diagnosed with liver or advanced colon cancer every year, but many of them aren't candidates for surgery or radiation.

One local hospital is now using a novel new treatment, developed by a Massachusetts company, to help those patients live longer. (read more)

DECEMBER 2008

Congratulations to the following Radiologists named to the Top Doctor's list in Boston Magazine's Best of Boston - Top Docs 2008

	Daniel B. Kopans, MD Professor of Radiology, HMS Radiologist, Breast Imaging Best of Boston - Top Docs 2008 Specialty: Diagnostic Radiology

	William E. Palmer, MD Assistant Professor of Radiology, HMS Director, Musculoskeletal Imaging & Intervention Division Best of Boston - Top Docs 2008 Specialty: Diagnostic Radiology

	Joshua A. Hirsch, MD, FSIR Associate Radiologist, HMS Chief, Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Director, Interventional Neuroradiology \| Endovascular Neurosurgery Division Best of Boston - Top Docs 2008 Specialty: Neuroradiology

Top Docs 2008: The Enlightened Patient - How to pick the right doctor, ask the right questions, and take charge of your healthcare. (read more)

Aiming for Greater Benefit, Cancer Imaging Program supports Higher Risk Research - NCI Cancer bulletin quotes MGH radiologist/investigator Gregory Sorensen, MD - 12/2/08

CIP helps fund advanced imaging research laboratories around the country, including one that has the first dual MRI-PET device in the country, commissioned by Dr. Gregory Sorensen and colleagues at Massachusetts General Hospital.

"We are now able to combine the high spatial resolution and functional information from MRI with the metabolic and receptor information available from PET, to more carefully study tumor hypoxia, angiogenesis, and the link between [tumor] metabolism and response to therapies," explained Dr. Sorensen, who will soon begin the first clinical trial (funded in part by CIP) of dual MRI-PET to monitor patients with brain tumors during treatment. (read more)

Patient Photos Aid Docs Reading Faceless CT Scans - Quotes MGH Radiologist-in-Chief James Thrall, MD - 12/1/08

Imagine sitting in a dark room all day, evaluating CT scans and other medical images on a computer screen but never actually seeing real patients. That's life for many radiologists.

But an intriguing Israeli study found adding photos of patients' faces to the file made these doctors more meticulous when looking at the X-rays. They reported more details and said they felt more empathy for patients who were otherwise strangers.

Adding patients' photos is a simple, low-tech way to reap rewards for both doctors and their patients, the researchers concluded. (read more)

RSNA Outstanding Researcher, Educator Announced - MGH radiologist/investigator Ralph Weissleder, MD - 12/1/08

(download )

NOVEMBER 2008

Virtual relief? Patients dread colonoscopies. So what are the arguments for a less-invasive approach that uses X-ray technology? - 11/2/08

One recent afternoon, Dr. Michael Zalis sat in a darkened suite at Mass. General packed with dozens of flickering computer monitors. With hands that navigate the computer like a piano keyboard, Zalis, a radiologist, reviewed images from a recent virtual colonoscopy.

First, two-dimensional black-and-white snapshots of the patient's mid-section appear. Then, a computer program assembles those images into a three-dimensional "ride" through the flesh-hued cave of the intestines, as Zalis looks for signs of trouble.

Nothing, nothing, nothing - until he reaches one spot where there's a glowing green blob. (read more)

OCTOBER 2008

New MRI Puts Cervical Cancer Into Focus - The high-tech approach outlines extent of disease, guides treatment, quotes MGH Radiologist Dr. Susanna Lee - 10/21/08

(HealthDay News) - Combining the use of MRI with a special vaginal coil, doctors can now assess the extent of cervical cancer and make more informed treatment decisions, a new study suggests.

"The main use is in women with small cervical cancers, in whom it is necessary to delineate accurately the extent of disease prior to fertility-sparing surgery," explained study author Dr. Nandita deSouza, co-director of the MRI Unit at the Institute of Cancer Research and Royal Marsden Hospital, in London. (read more)

The Scan That Didn't Scan - The New York Times quotes MGH Radiologist-in-Chief James Thrall, MD and G. Scott Gazelle, MD, MPH, PhD - 10/14/08

This is a story about M.R.I.'s, those amazing scans that can show tissue injury and bone damage, inflammation and fluid accumulation. Except when they can't and you think they can. (read more)

AUGUST 2008

Screening may be one way to reduce lung cancer risk - Study conducted by Pamela McMahon, PhD, MGH senior scientist - Top Cancer News - 8/14/08

Screening for lung cancer with computed tomography (CT) may help reduce lung cancer deaths in current and former smokers, but it won't protect them from other causes of death associated with smoking, according to a new study.

"Our study suggests that screening may be one way to reduce risk of death from lung cancer," said the study's lead author, Pamela McMahon, Ph.D., senior scientist at Massachusetts General Hospital and instructor in radiology at Harvard Medical School in Boston. "However, the number-one goal should still be to quit smoking, because it will reduce risk of death from many causes, including lung cancer."

Brain imaging helps explain behavior - Psych Central interviews principal investigator Hans Breiter, MD - 8/7/08

Thursday, Aug 7 (Psych Central) -- An innovative research study uses imaging techniques to identify a connection between brain reward systems and a gene variant.

The findings have implications for how genes may influence healthy or dysfunctional behavior involving choices in many different areas. (read more)

The Brain Unmasked - New technologies reveal the intricate architecture of the brain, creating a blueprint of its connectivity - Technology Review quotes neuroscientist Van Wedeen, MD - 8/6/08

The typical brain scan shows a muted gray rendering of the brain, easily distinguished by a series of convoluted folds. But according to Van Wedeen, a neuroscientist at Massachusetts General Hospital, in Boston, that image is just a shadow of the real brain. The actual structure--a precisely organized tangle of nerve cells and the long projections that connect them--has remained hidden until relatively recently. (read more)

JUNE 2008

When a mammogram isn't enough - For higher risk women, the addition of MRI or sonogram may improve detection. Wall Street Journal - 6/25/08

Mary Walls thought she was home-free after annual mammograms found no recurrence of the breast cancer she'd suffered in 1996. Then last fall she also got an ultrasound screening, which showed two questionable areas in her right breast.

After a biopsy confirmed that the two spots were malignancies, the Matteson, Ill., human-resources consultant got a lumpectomy, chemotherapy and radiation. "I don't think I'll ever trust just mammography by itself again," says Ms. Walls, 62, who received the ultrasound after deciding to participate in a research study her doctor was helping to conduct. (read more)

3D Mammography - Adding a dimension to detection. Dr. Elizabeth Rafferty interviewed - Boston Globe - 6/2/08

Hologic Inc. is trying to give breast cancer detection an upgrade.

The Bedford medical-equipment maker, which dominates the market for mammography machines, is planning to launch its next generation of the X-ray machines within the next year - a so-called 3-D version. (read more)

MAY 2008

ACR appoints Thrall as chair, names new officers - 5/29/08

The American College of Radiology (ACR) has named James H. Thrall, MD, FACR, as chair of its board of chancellors.

Thrall, radiologist-in-chief at Massachusetts General Hospital and a professor of radiology at Harvard Medical Center in Boston, is the immediate past chair of the ACR Commission on Molecular Imaging, chair of the RADPAC board, member of the ACR Web site Advisory Committee and the ACR Foundation, and serves on the editorial board of the Journal of the American College of Radiology. (read more)

APRIL 2008

Cover Story - Image Magazine - World Renowned Care - MGH Provides a Culture of Quality and Compassion - 4/20/08

"You are only as good as the care you gave to the most recent patient. You cannot rest on your laurels, says James H. Thrall, MD, radiologist-in-chief, "Those offering the best patient care must remain vigilant." (read more)

MARCH 2008

Boston Globe Editorial: Cancer that can be cured - Dr. Michael Zalis on CT Colonography - 3/12/08

CANCER IS a dreaded word, especially for people age 50 or older. But one form of the disease, the colorectal variety, usually can be beaten with the help of a comprehensive, albeit unpleasant, procedure. A new American Cancer Society report endorses a variant on the test that should make colon cancer screening appealing to many more people. (read more)

JANUARY 2008

Be wary of unsupported scientific studies - Chicago Daily Herald quotes MGH physician Daniel Kopans - 1/14/08

I'm an avid follower of new treatment options for those of us who live with cancer. I see some in various newspapers, hear some on the radio and receive others by way of Google Alerts or unsolicited public relations releases. (read more)

DECEMBER 2007

Make a mistake, and this mannequin dies in battle - Boston Globe features MGH Radiologist Steve Dawson, MD - 12/26/07

Dr. Steve Dawson and his team are creating a dummy that will die if you don't treat it right. Intended for training combat medics, the smart mannequin being built from scratch in his Massachusetts General Hospital lab mimics war wounds with horrifying realism, right down to blood spurting from torn arteries, sucking chest wounds, and appalling shrieks of agony.(read more)

Nuke Reactor Shutdown Jeopardizes Medical Tests. ABC News interviews Dr. Ted Palmer - 12/06/07

Medical centers around the country are reporting that medical tests requiring radioisotopes, such as diagnostic tests for cancer and heart disease, are being rationed or delayed due to the extended shutdown of a Canadian nuclear reactor.

The Atomic Energy of Canada's reactor at Chalk River, Ontario, produces most of the base isotopes for technetium-99, the most commonly used isotope in medical testing and nuclear medicine studies. (read more)

Dr. Theresa C. McLoud has been named president of Radiological Society of North America - 12/03/07

Dr. Theresa C. McLoud has been named president of the Radiological Society of North America's board of directors. Associate radiologist-in-chief at Massachusetts General Hospital, she is also a professor of radiology at Harvard Medical School.

NOVEMBER 2007

RSNA 07 News - Dr Raul Uppot on Imaging Obese Patients - 11/27/07

The morbidly obese may be missing out on essential diagnostic imaging.

Consider that a heart attack patient weighing 350 pounds is too fat to undergo angiography because the standard table cannot support that much weight.

Consider that 475-pound patients with severe abdominal pain are too big for CT to diagnose the cause, necessitating exploratory surgery as the most likely alternative. (read more)

Some obese patients too heavy for post-surgery imaging - 11/27/07

Seriously obese patients who have complications after undergoing weight-loss surgery may be too heavy for imaging equipment, according to a study being presented by Boston researchers at a radiology meeting today.

More than a quarter of patients who weighed more than 450 pounds and needed imaging to diagnose a problem after gastric-bypass surgery could not get CT scans because their weight exceeded the capacity of the scanner's table, according to Dr. Raul N. Uppot and his radiology colleagues at Massachusetts General Hospital. (read more)

Migraine Tied to Thickening in Brain Area - 11/19/07

People who suffer from repeated migraines have a thickening in an area of their brains that's involved in processing pain, researchers report. But exactly what this means, or whether the migraines or the brain-thickening come first, is not yet clear.

"We don't know if it's a cause or a consequence" of migraines, said study senior author Dr. Nouchine Hadjikhani, an associate professor of radiology at the Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, affiliated with both the Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. (read more)

OCTOBER 2007

Drs. Thrall and McLoud Receive Prestigious Outstanding Leadership Awards from NERRS - 10/19/07

On Friday, October 19, 2007, the New England Roentgen Ray Society (NERRS) presented three Boston radiologists, including MGH Radiology's very own Drs. James H. Thrall and Theresa C. McLoud, with NERRS Outstanding Leadership in Radiology Awards. The NERRS recognized a unique level of local achievement in the Boston area for 2007-2008. Dr. Thrall is the incoming Chair at the American College of Radiology, a position he will assume at the annual meeting next spring. Other current honors for Dr. Thrall include the gold medal of the American Roentgen Ray Society (ARRS) presented last spring and the gold medal of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) to be presented at the 2007 annual meeting in November. Dr. McLoud will become president of the RSNA at the 2007 annual meeting. Dr. Herbert Kressel of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is the new Editor of Radiology, the journal of the RSNA.

Dr. McLoud was traveling in China as part of her RSNA commitments and received the award in absentia. Dr. Philip Boiselle, Chief of Thoracic Imaging at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and a former MGH Chest Radiology fellow trained by Dr. McLoud, presented Dr. McLoud's award. In her acceptance remarks read by Dr. Boiselle, Dr. McLoud remarked that her participation in organized radiology has been one of the highlights of her career. She noted that her first introduction to service in organized radiology was as part of the New England Roentgen Ray Society for which she served as president from 1987-1988.

Drs. Debra Gervais and Pamela W. Schaefer, current secretary and treasurer of the NERRS, respectively, introduced Dr. Thrall and personally presented his award. Dr. Thrall commented on his perspectives in radiology noting that service in organized radiology through organizations like the ACR is vital to ensuring the future of the specialty.

MGH radiologists have a long tradition of supporting the activities of the society both serving as officers and lecturers. Past presidents of the NERRS currently associated with MGH Radiology include: Dr. Sanjay Saini (2004), Dr. G. Scott Gazelle (2003), Dr. Jo-Anne O. Shepard (2000), Dr. Peter Mueller (1998), Dr. Stephen Miller (1993) and Dr. Theresa C. McLoud (1987).

Photo: Dr. James Thrall (center) receives his NERRS Outstanding Leadership in Radiology Award from Dr. Debra Gervais (left) and Dr. Pamela W. Schaefer (right). (photo courtesy of REMS)

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