SAN DIEGO, April 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — The American Journal
of Roentgenology published original research from two separate
studies this month demonstrating continued clinical acceptance of
the Naviscan high-resolution breast PET scanner, otherwise
known as a PEM scanner. The first study concluded that breast
radiologists can achieve a high level of diagnostic performance in
interpreting PEM images after a 2-hour tutorial which can take
months to achieve with MRI. The second study established a
standard lexicon for the evaluation of PEM images making it simple
to share a diagnosis.
PEM scanners are high-resolution breast PET systems that can
show the location as well as the metabolic phase of a lesion. This
information is critical in determining whether a lesion is
malignant and influences the course of treatment. With
increasing use of PEM imaging, there is a need for standardized
terminology to describe findings seen on PEM, interpretation, and
management recommendations, similar to the standardized
classification that exists for other breast imaging modalities.
The purpose of the interpretative skills study was to
prospectively validate how easy it is to learn and standardize the
interpretation of PEM by breast radiologists. Thirty-six
observers from 15 sites throughout the United States completed both
PEM and MRI interpretive skills tasks. All participants
underwent a 2-hour training program for interpreting PEM images.
The median sensitivity and specificity for PEM assessment
tasks were 100% and 83% respectively, compared to the median
sensitively and specificity of MRI at 82% and 69% respectively. The
results indicate that, with minimal training, experienced breast
imagers showed high performance in interpreting PEM images.
“PEM interpretation is relatively simple,” stated Dr. Priscilla
Slanetz, Director of Breast Imaging Research and Education at Beth
Israel Deaconess Medical Ce
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