The news summaries appearing in SNM SmartBrief are based on original information from multiple internet sources and are produced by SmartBrief, Inc., an independent e-mail newsletter publisher. The items below are not selected or reviewed by SNM prior to publication. Questions and comments may be directed to SmartBrief at snm@smartbrief.com.

Top Story

• FDG-PET/CT could help plan Crohn's disease treatment
  In a study of 17 Crohn's disease patients, U.S. and Canadian researchers said FDG-PET/CT identified 18 abnormal lesions and five likely abnormal lesions. Further assessment using maximum standardized uptake values also contributed to identifying the patients with active bowel inflammation. This type of imaging could help doctors decide whether surgery or medical therapy is the best treatment plan for patients. AuntMinnie.com (free registration) (11/16)

Clinical News & Research

• PET/CT measures head and neck cancer treatment response
  PET/CT had 83% sensitivity, 54% specificity, 31% positive predictive value and 92% negative predictive value in evaluating tumor response to chemoradiotherapy in head and neck cancer patients, a study showed. "On the basis of this study, PET/CT performed six to eight weeks after the completion of intra-arterial chemoradiotherapy for advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck is a valuable tool for measuring treatment response and facilitating clinical decision making," the researchers said. HealthImaging.com (11/16)

• Study examines acute heart attack patients' total radiation dosage
  A study of more than 64,000 patients who received treatment for acute heart attacks found an average of seven tests using ionizing radiation per patient. "We should not withhold necessary, appropriate tests that involve ionizing radiation -- they provide very important information. What we should do is evaluate and understand the clinical indications for tests that involve ionizing radiation," said the lead author. Eureka! Science News/News release (11/16)

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News from the Field

• Radioactive iodine gets caught in feeding tube; no harm to patient
  Federal regulators and officials at the San Diego Veterans Affairs Medical Center said a thyroid cancer patient received a large dose of radiation when radioactive iodine got caught in his feeding tube for almost four days. Doctors said the patient was not harmed by the incident, but the hospital has stopped using feeding tubes to administer radioactive iodine. The cause of the incident is not yet clear and an investigation report is expected soon. San Diego Union-Tribune (11/16)

Featured Content

Health Policy

• Two bills against federal pre-emption could impact device firms
  House and Senate bills that would allow injured patients to file liability suits against companies that manufacture FDA-approved medical devices are still pending in Congress. Passage of the Medical Device Safety Act would undermine the FDA's "effectiveness or its ability to meet its mandate to protect the public health and safety," a spokeswoman for a medical device trade group said. Finance and Commerce (Minneapolis) (11/16)

• Health reform opponents outspend supporters 2-to-1 in ad campaigns
  Opponents of the health reform bill have spent $24 million on TV ads in the past month, twice that paid by advocates of the legislation, said Evan Tracey, president of Campaign Media Analysis Group. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, an adamant critic of the reform proposal, has asked business groups to help fund a study that will be used in ads and other lobbying efforts explaining how overhauling the system "will kill jobs and hurt the economy." Google/The Associated Press (11/17)

Advancing Health Care

• Study examines possibility of new technology to boost patient flow
  University of California San Diego's Department of Radiology is taking part in a study using artificial intelligence to enhance patient services and efficiency. "We hope to observe notable improvement in efficiencies throughout the department," said an official from the School of Medicine. MarketWire/News release (11/16)

• 7 top technologies to watch in 2010
  Electronic medical records and genetic testing are at the top of ECRI Institute's recently released list of technologies to watch in 2010. The list could help health plan executives decide which technologies they should prioritize, the institute said. Healthcare IT News (11/16)

From SNM

• Registration and housing now open for the SNM Conjoint Mid-Winter Meetings, Jan. 27 to Feb. 2
  Four unique scientific meetings in one location -- Albuquerque, N.M. Join experts from nuclear medicine, molecular imaging, clinical trials and nanomedicine as they discuss the latest advances in modern medicine. More.

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SmartQuote

If you have knowledge, let others light their candles in it." --Margaret Fuller, journalist and women's rights advocate