The FDA has released new standard operating policies and procedures for staff of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER). Effective Nov. 1, the document will guide staff in developing and posting quarterly lists of potential serious risks, as identified by the Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS).

Having comparison mammograms on hand has generally been thought to increase the accuracy of cancer detection during breast imaging, and a study published in the Oct. 26 issue of Radiology confirmed some of these benefits, but it also cautioned against a high false-positive rate when changes are noted between current and prior screening mammograms.

In an Oct. 25 letter to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, the Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed) and other industry stakeholders urged the implementation of the Physician Payment Sunshine Provision, a part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that requires drug, device and medical supply manufacturers to report payments made to physicians and teaching hospitals.

U.S. Rep. Thomas Marino, R-Pa., has introduced legislation to offer limited legal protection to Medicare and Medicaid providers who use EHRs.

The FDA has granted 510(k) clearance for Accuray, a Sunnyvale, Calif.-based radiation oncology company, to market the Dose Control System, a feature for Accurays TomoTherapy System.

Annual chest x-ray screening did not lower the rate of death from lung cancer compared with usual care, according to a study of more than 150,000 participants to be published Nov. 2 in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The study demonstrated that chest x-ray screening is not effective and set the stage for comparing CT screening to usual care, Harold C. Sox, MD, of Dartmouth Medical School in West Lebanon, N.H., wrote in an accompanying editorial.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major cause of death in heavy smokers, yet it remains substantially underdiagnosed. There are some promising signs, however, as researchers have shown that low-dose inspiratory and expiratory CT scans obtained for lung cancer screening of men who are current and former heavy smokers can identify patients with COPD, according to a study published in the Oct. 26 issue of Journal of the American Medical Association.

A new analysis verified and strengthened earlier studies that demonstrated the link between financial interest in imaging and greater utilization of imaging. The research, published in the November issue of American Journal of Roentgenology, led the authors to suggest that cost-containment efforts target financial interest in imaging.