New Oncology Workflow with Advanced Toolset Can Help Improve Reading, Reporting For Cancer Patients

ROCHESTER, N.Y., May 5 — Carestream now offers an oncology reading workflow for PET/CT studies that equips clinicians with new native tools for its enterprise image management system  that deliver both quantitative and qualitative information to help improve and expedite the reading process.

“The latest upgrade for our enterprise image management platform incorporates advanced tools to aid in tumor detection and tracking. This can help radiologists deliver more meaningful reports while also enhancing collaboration with clinicians and patients,” said Ron Muscosky, Carestream’s Worldwide Clinical Solutions Product Line Manager.   

“Traditional oncology features cannot adequately address the increased demand we can expect for long-term monitoring of oncology patients as the world’s population ages. And the recent announcement of Medicare payments for CT lung cancer screening can be expected to boost imaging volumes for current and former smokers,” he adds. 

Carestream’s new CT Perfusion and Subtraction modules contains interactive tools to ease the process of analyzing and comparing three-dimensional (3D), CT perfusion (CTP) and digital subtraction angiography (DSA) images. This equips users to analyze CT brain perfusion scans for tissue perfusion and tissue blood volume, while X-ray angiography (XA) subtraction capabilities provide a DSA workflow for analysis of vessel blockages in areas with bony or dense soft tissue.

“Carestream’s new CT perfusion module that is native to the PACS demonstrated better coherence and consistency of perfusion maps and results and was easy to use,” said Dr. Daniel Reizine, Radiologist, Department of Neuroradiology, Hospital Lariboisière (Paris, France).

Carestream also developed PET segmentation that allows users to examine tumor standardized uptake values (SUV) traces on the PET image without the need for a physical trace on a CT exam. This capability can play an important role in detection of early stage cancers.

The company’s streamlined oncology reading workflow includes:
•    Automatic fusion of PET, SPECT, CT and MR images
•    Automatic registration between volumetric datasets that provide efficient comparison of multiple time points
•    Synchronized manipulations, color maps, measurement tools and pre-defined layouts that aid in analysis
•    Reproducible 2D and volumetric lesion segmentation and automated comparison to observe progression over time
•    Threshold segmentation, spheroid region of interest (ROI), metabolic tumor volume (MTV) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG)
•    Bookmarks to catalog lesions and speed future access and
•    Precise follow-up data for enhanced patient care.

An efficient reading workflow is supported by use of Carestream’s native Vue Reporting module that can present interactive hyperlinks to critical images and automatic inclusion of quantitative analysis in the form of easy-to-understand comparison tables and charts, which oncologists and referring physicians prefer.

Vue Reporting also offers bookmarks and lesion management reporting in accordance with international standards such as response evaluation criteria in solid tumors (RECIST). Reports and images can be shared using Carestream’s Vue Motion universal viewer that supports viewing on FDA-approved mobile devices.