Abstract: Coronary artery calcification (CAC) has long been known to occur as a part of the atherosclerotic process; recently it has been shown to be an active process resembling bone formation within the vessel wall. There is good evidence that the extent of CAC reflects the total coronary atherosclerotic burden and this has generated interest in using CAC as a marker of risk. The current consensus is that large amounts of CAC identify a patient highly vulnerable to future events. The advent of CT angiography added the ability to non-invasively detect critical luminal stenoses that are associated with a more immediate risk of events, and to visualize the non-calcified component of the atherosclerotic plaque. ... Read more

Abstract: Prostate cancer continues to represent a major health problem, and yet there is no effective treatment available for advanced metastatic disease. Thus, there is an urgent need for the development of more effective treatment modalities that could improve the outcome. Because prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA), a transmembrane protein, is expressed by virtually all prostate cancers, and its expression is further increased in poorly differentiated, metastatic, and hormone-refractory carcinomas, it is a very attractive target. Molecules targeting PSMA can be labelled with radionuclides to become both diagnostic and/or therapeutic agents. The use of PSMA binding agents, labelled with diagnostic and therapeutic radio-isotopes, opens up the potential for a new era of personalized management of metastatic prostate cancer. ... Read more

Abstract: Unanticipated adrenal masses are frequently encountered in modern, high resolution diagnostic imaging. Most often, these masses are benign adrenal adenomas, but when detected they necessitate a clinical evaluation sufficient to exclude subclinical endocrine disease, primary adrenal cancer, and remote metastases to the adrenal glands from other malignancies. These "incidentally-discovered" adrenal masses or so-called "adrenal incidentalomas" can be further evaluated with CT, MRI, and nuclear medicine imaging techniques. A substantial literature supports the use of each of these modalities to non-invasively characterize these neoplasms that have been considered by some as a 'disease' of modern imaging technology. ... Read more

Abstract: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides essential information on anatomical location and morphology for diagnosis, therapy planning, and treatment evaluation in brain tumors, but lacks biological specificity. "Advanced" quantitative MRI methods yield additional metabolic and physiological indices relevant to tumor growth, vasculature, and ultrastructure; these improve lesion characterization and delineation, and provide potential biomarkers of treatment susceptibility and response. Validation and standardization of relevant parameters is required for use across multiple centers for large scale clinical trials of novel therapeutic regimens and to guide clinical management of individual patients. ... Read more

Abstract: There are defined windows of opportunities during which stroke can be treated. Various clinical trials testing a variety of drugs and the overall management of stroke are discussed. ... Read more

Colonoscopy saves life. This is partly because colorectal cancer develops slowly in stages over decades. Fortunately, if it is caught at any stage other than the terminal metastatic stage, it can be cured by surgery. Despite its unequivocal benefits, many people shun away from the unpleasant experience. “When it hits a corner, you know,” said Frank Rasada, 69, of La Quinta, CA who overcame the fear and experienced optical colonoscopy twice. About two thirds of the people who are recommended to get one evade the procedure.

Now there’s less excuse to avoid getting a colonoscopy. Dr. Perry J. Pickhardt and colleagues ... Read more

In medical sciences, an ever-lasting challenge is to visualize what is happening inside a living being without causing more procedural damages. Technical advances in medical radiology have revolutionized both the health care practice and basic research; computed tomography (CT) scanning, positron-emission tomography (PET), and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), just to name a familiar few.

The desire to “see through” skin keeps driving scientists and engineers to innovate on new technologies to allow us to see more with better resolution and clarity. For instance, a particular organ, tissue or cell needs to be monitored in the living animal for studying their ... Read more