Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Radiology for January 2020. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Reirradiation Rarely Required in Focal RT for Multiple Myeloma
FRIDAY, Jan. 31, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with multiple myeloma receiving focal radiation therapy (RT) for symptomatic plasmacytoma, reirradiation is rarely required, according to a letter to the editor published online Jan. 9 in Haematologica.
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2017 to 2018 Saw Increase in Life Expectancy in the United States
THURSDAY, Jan. 30, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- From 2017 to 2018, there was an increase in life expectancy in the United States and a decrease in age-adjusted death rates, according to a January data brief published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Health Statistics.
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Conservative Tx for Spontaneous Pneumothorax Seems Noninferior
THURSDAY, Jan. 30, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Conservative management with initial observation may be noninferior to immediate interventional management for carefully selected patients with primary spontaneous pneumothorax, according to a study published in the Jan. 30 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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U.S. Spends More on Health Care, but Has Worse Life Expectancy
THURSDAY, Jan. 30, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- The United States spends substantially more than any other wealthy nation on health care, yet it has a lower life expectancy and a higher suicide rate than other wealthy nations, according to a January data brief released by the Commonwealth Fund.
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Volume CT Screening Cuts Lung Cancer Mortality at 10 Years
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 29, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Volume computed tomography (CT) screening results in significantly lower lung cancer mortality at 10 years, according to a study published online Jan. 29 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Patients Have Less Dyspnea After Bariatric Surgery for Obesity
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 29, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Obese individuals undergoing bariatric surgery have improvement in dyspnea, which is associated with less air trapping and end-expiratory tracheal collapse, according to a study published online Jan. 28 in Radiology.
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Gender Gap Persists in Starting Salary for Physicians
TUESDAY, Jan. 28, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- The gender gap in starting salary for physicians persists, although it is unclear which factors account for this gap, according to a report published online Jan. 22 in Health Affairs.
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Wealthy Pay Most to Finance U.S. Health Care
MONDAY, Jan. 27, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Health care payments in the United States are more regressive than previously thought, according to a study published online Jan. 27 in Health Services Research.
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Major Insurers Offer $55 Million to Lower Generic Drug Costs
THURSDAY, Jan. 23, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- A nonprofit that develops and sells cheaper drugs will receive a $55 million investment from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and associated organizations to create cheaper versions of expensive generic drugs.
The New York Times Article
Fewer Than Half of Clinical Trials Comply With Reporting Laws
THURSDAY, Jan. 23, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Compliance with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act of 2007 is low, with only 40.9 percent of trials reporting results within one year, according to a study published online Jan. 17 in The Lancet.
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Fast-Track Review of ACA Lawsuit Rejected by U.S. Supreme Court
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 22, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- A fast-track review of a lawsuit that threatens the Affordable Care Act was rejected Tuesday by the U.S. Supreme Court.
AP News Article
Recommendations Issued for CT Contrast Use in Kidney Disease
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 22, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- In consensus statements from the American College of Radiology and the National Kidney Foundation, published online Jan. 21 in Radiology, recommendations are presented for the use of intravenous iodinated contrast media with computed tomography (CT) for patients with kidney disease.
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ACP: Medicare for All Needed to Fix 'Ill' U.S. Health Care System
TUESDAY, Jan. 21, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- The American College of Physicians (ACP) says the U.S. health care system "is ill and needs a bold new prescription" that includes coverage for all Americans and lower costs.
AP News Article
American College of Physicians
Intensity-Modulated Radiation Charges for Prostate Cancer Vary
TUESDAY, Jan. 21, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- There is considerable variation in listed charges for simple intensity-modulated radiation therapy used in prostate cancer treatment, with a weak positive association for price and geographic practice cost index, according to a study published online Jan. 16 in JAMA Oncology.
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Single-Payer System Would Likely Save Money
THURSDAY, Jan. 16, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- There is near consensus across 30 years of economic analysis of single-payer plans that a single-payer system would reduce health expenditures in the United States, according to a review published online Jan. 15 in PLOS Medicine.
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Lack of Insurance Tied to Later Stage of Breast Cancer at Diagnosis
THURSDAY, Jan. 16, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Insurance status and access to care play an important role in racial disparities in stage of breast cancer at diagnosis, according to a study published online Jan. 9 in JAMA Oncology.
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ACA Tied to Narrowing of Disparities in Access to Care
THURSDAY, Jan. 16, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- The Affordable Care Act has reduced disparities in access to health care among black, Hispanic, and white adults, according to a January data brief released by the Commonwealth Fund.
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Coronary Artery Disease Risk Down in Survivors of Childhood Cancer
THURSDAY, Jan. 16, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- There has been a decrease in the risk for coronary artery disease among adult survivors of childhood cancer, according to a study published online Jan. 15 in The BMJ.
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Editorial
Ageism Predicts Significantly Worse Health Outcomes
THURSDAY, Jan. 16, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Ageism predicts significantly worse health outcomes, according to a review published online Jan. 15 in PLOS ONE.
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Maternal Distress May Affect Brain Development in Fetuses With CHD
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 15, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Psychological distress, including stress, anxiety, and depression, is prevalent among women carrying fetuses with congenital heart disease (CHD), and this distress can affect fetal neurological development, according to a study published online Jan. 13 in JAMA Pediatrics.
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Notification Laws May Not Increase Knowledge of Dense Breast Risks
TUESDAY, Jan. 14, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- State dense-breast notification (DBN) laws are not associated with increased understanding of the clinical implications of breast density, according to a study published online Jan. 8 in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
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Doctor Replacement Ratios Higher in Largest, Hospital-Owned Practices
TUESDAY, Jan. 14, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- From 2009 to 2016, more physicians entering the Medicare program worked at large group or hospital-owned practices than small group or independent practices, according to a research letter published online Jan. 14 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Physicians Spend >16 Minutes Per Encounter on EHR Use
MONDAY, Jan. 13, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Physicians spend a considerable amount of time using electronic health records (EHRs) to support care delivery, with wide variation seen in the distribution of time within specialty, according to a study published online Jan. 14 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Guidance Issued for Hepatic, Mesenteric Circulation Disorders
MONDAY, Jan. 13, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- In a clinical guideline from the American College of Gastroenterology, published in the January issue of the American Journal of Gastroenterology, recommendations are presented for management of disorders of the hepatic and mesenteric circulation.
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Burnout in Med Students Tied to Perceived Stress, Phone Behavior
MONDAY, Jan. 13, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Higher levels of perceived stress, poorer sleep quality, and smartphone addiction contribute to burnout in osteopathic medical students, according to a study published in the January issue of the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association.
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California May Start Producing Its Own Medicines
FRIDAY, Jan. 10, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- A proposal for California to contract generic drug companies to make medications would make the state the first in the country to produce its own medications.
AP News Article
Recruitment Satisfactory for Foreign-Educated Health Providers
FRIDAY, Jan. 10, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Foreign-educated health professionals (FEHPs) in the United States are overall satisfied with their recruitment experience, according to a study published in the January issue of the American Journal of Nursing.
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Neighborhood Disadvantage Impacts Hospital Quality Ratings
FRIDAY, Jan. 10, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Hospitals caring for neighborhoods with high levels of disadvantage may have lower hospital ratings due to social risk factors (SRFs) in the community, according to a study published online Dec. 30 in Medical Care.
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Clinical Guidelines Developed for Managing Nosebleeds
THURSDAY, Jan. 9, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- In a clinical practice guideline from the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation, published online Jan. 7 in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, recommendations are presented for the management of nosebleeds.
Clinical Practice Guideline
Executive Summary
Large Gap Found in Health Administrative Spending for U.S., Canada
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 8, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- There is a large and widening gap in health administrative spending between the United States and Canada, according to a study published online Jan. 7 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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More Education Needed on Breast Density and Screening Choices
MONDAY, Jan. 6, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Being a resident in a state with a dense breast notification law does not appear to help women know more about breast density, according to a study published online Dec. 2 in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
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Poll: Older Adults Frequently Use Online Physician Ratings
MONDAY, Jan. 6, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Older adults commonly use online ratings to choose a doctor, according to a report published online Jan. 6 based on the results of the University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging.
National Poll on Healthy Aging
Routine HPV Testing May Be Warranted for Sinonasal Cancers
FRIDAY, Jan. 3, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Only one in four patients with sinonasal squamous cell carcinoma (SNSCC) is tested for human papillomavirus (HPV), according to a study published online Dec. 30 in Cancer.
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Adverse Events Decreased With Proton Chemoradiotherapy
FRIDAY, Jan. 3, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Proton chemoradiotherapy is associated with a significantly lower risk for 90-day adverse events and a decrease in performance status during treatment compared with photon therapy, according to a study published online Dec. 26 in JAMA Oncology.
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Cardiorespiratory Fitness Linked to Gray Matter Volume
FRIDAY, Jan. 3, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is positively associated with gray matter (GM) volume and total brain volume and with GM volume in specific brain areas, according to a study published in the January issue of the Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
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Survivors of Childhood Cancers at Risk for Shortened Life Span
THURSDAY, Jan. 2, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Survivors of childhood cancer remain at risk for shorter life spans, especially when they receive radiotherapy, according to a study published online Jan. 2 in JAMA Oncology.
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AI System Outperforms Radiologists in Breast Cancer Prediction
THURSDAY, Jan. 2, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- An artificial intelligence (AI) system can reduce false positives and false negatives in prediction of breast cancer and outperforms human readers, according to a study published online Jan. 1 in Nature.
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Patient Experiences Modestly Worse After Hospital Acquisition
THURSDAY, Jan. 2, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Modestly worse patient experiences are seen following hospital acquisition by another hospital, according to a study published in the Jan. 2 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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