In The News

Healthcare is constantly changing, and the field of radiology is no exception. With new technologies, come new ways to diagnosis and treat diseases. We at Charlotte Radiology are pleased to be the area's imaging experts and connected to organizations who share our goal of bringing you the latest in imaging equipment and studies.

CHARLOTTE, N.C., March 15, 2016 – Charlotte Radiology is expanding – again – its mobile mammography services by adding a fourth mobile breast center to its fleet. Responding to increased demand for convenient access to early screening for breast cancer, the new mobile unit will help Charlotte Radiology serve more women in Mecklenburg, Gaston, Union and York counties. And well beyond.

The new mobile unit, ready to roll on April 1, will be the first in the Carolinas and only the 13th in the United States to offer digital breast tomosynthesis, more commonly known as 3-D mammography. 3-D mammography creates multiple images that allow radiologists to look at different layers of breast tissue. It’s of greatest benefit to women with dense breast tissue and women having their first mammogram.


The primary benefits of 3-D mammography include reduced call backs for false positives and better visualization of breast tissue, which leads to greater visibility of small cancers. “Tomo,” as it’s also known, takes about the same amount of time as a traditional 2-D mammogram and requires a $55 out-of-pocket charge. Insurance does not yet cover the service.

Since 2011, Charlotte Radiology’s mobile units have performed more than 40,000 mammograms in 15 states in the southern United States – from Florida to Virginia and as far west as Texas. The newest screening unit will further improve access for women prone to delaying their screening mammograms – or not getting them at all. The mobile units provide “breast health expertise on wheels” at special events, health fairs and businesses.

“The mobile breast centers bring early breast cancer detection right to the workplace, allowing health-conscious employers the opportunity to provide their employees with a more convenient option for breast cancer screening,” said Katie Yarborough, Charlotte Radiology’s corporate health and community relations manager.

Exams can be billed to insurance, and there’s no additional cost to the hosting organization. A minimum number of patients is required. Learn more and view a calendar of events at mobilebreastcenter.com. To schedule an event, contact Katie Yarborough at 704.334.7812.

“We have the ability to operate our mobile units seven days a week and provide services to employees during first, second and third shifts to meet the needs of a company’s employee population,” she continued.

Charlotte Radiology is a member of Strategic Radiology, the nation’s largest consortium of independent, subspecialized radiology groups. That partnership allows Charlotte Radiology to expand its services even beyond the 15-state region it has served previously.

“Most mobile units are licensed only in the state they originate in, and many only serve the county they’re based in,” said Yarborough. “Our program is one of a few able to expand across many states. It’s our Belk partnership that has allowed our physicians to become licensed throughout Belk’s territory. For companies with employees spread across a number of geographies, having one mobile provider allows for the standardization of care.”

The new 38.6-foot-long, state-of-the-art breast screening facility joins three other mobile units in Charlotte Radiology’s fleet. Three are operated by Charlotte Radiology, and one is operated in partnership with Belk.

Each mobile breast center is staffed by two certified female mammography technologists and outfitted with a registration and waiting area, private dressing rooms and an exam room. Once an exam is performed, a board-certified radiologist interprets the mammogram and sends the confidential results to the patient and her primary care physician.

Each mobile breast center has the capacity to screen about 5,000 women each year. About half the women screened at one of Charlotte Radiology’s corporate partners are either new to mammography or overdue for a mammogram by two or more years. Charlotte Radiology’s mobile mammography units serve more than 90 businesses throughout the lower East Coast, Southeast and the Gulf states.

About Charlotte Radiology Breast Center Charlotte Radiology, established in 1967, is one of the largest radiology groups in the country. It operates 14 breast center locations, including two mobile breast centers, serving more than 100,000 women each year. All breast centers are accredited by the American College of Radiology, certified by the FDA and recognized as a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence. For more information: www.mobilebreastcenter.com.

What happens when "flawed" studies get media attention? Lives are at stake - which is why we turn to the experts to help us determine what's right and wrong. If you've heard about a recent Canadian Study debating the benefits of mammography, you must learn the facts. Read a Q&A from Dr. Daniel Kopans and responses from the American College of Radiology, the Society of Breast Imaging, Dr. László Tabár and Tony Hsiu-Hsi Chen.

Learn more:

› Dr. László Tabár and Tony Hsiu-Hsi Chen, "We do not want to go back to the Dark Ages of breast screening"

› Interview of Dr. László Tabár

In response to yesterday’s official recommendation by the US Preventive Services Task Force that older adults with a history of heavy smoking receive annual CT Lung Cancer Screenings, Charlotte Radiology aligns itself with the American College of Radiology’s (ACR) response. Following is a summary of the ACR response to the study:

- The American College of Radiology (ACR) supports the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) draft recommendation (Grade B) for computed tomography (CT) lung cancer screening of high-risk patients (those 55 through 79 years old and have a 30-pack-year or greater history of smoking).

- The Affordable Care Act requires that Medicare and private insurers provide coverage of all medical exams or procedures that receive a grade of “B” or higher from the USPSTF.

- The ACR looks forward to working with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the National Cancer Institute, Congress and other key stakeholders in taking the necessary steps to create a sustainable and effective CT lung cancer screening process. The College will work to provide as much guidance as possible to providers and patients as we work to finalize official practice guidelines and standards.
- The ACR encourages patients to speak with their doctors regarding the usefulness of CT scanning to screen for lung cancer in their particular cases.

*Please note that Charlotte Radiology has also chosen to recommend the study to a second tier of patients as recommended by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), which is patients ages 50+ with a 20 pack-year history of smoking and an additional risk factor. While Charlotte Radiology stands behind this recommendation, please note that the second tier recommendation has not, at this time, been adopted by the USPSTF.

Charlotte Radiology recommends that patients and caregivers speak with their primary care physicians about their smoking history to determine if a CT Lung Cancer Screening is right for them.

For additional information on this recommendation, please see:
American College of Radiology’s Full Response
Article from NPR News
Article from The Wall Street Journal

Recently the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has been investigating an outbreak of a rare type of meningitis that may have been caused by contaminated steroid injections from a compounding pharmacy in Massachusetts. All infected patients had recently received lumbar epidural steroid injections. Health officials believe the drug in the injection was contaminated with Aspergillus, a fungus that was found in the infected patients' spinal fluid cultures. The drug under suspicion is methylprednisolone acetate, and health officials say that all patients were treated with batches produced at the New England Compounding Center in Framingham, Massachusetts.

Please note that Charlotte Radiology does NOT purchase any medicine through the New England Compounding Center and that all methylprednisolone acetate has been purchased from a division of Pfizer. In addition, Charlotte Radiology has been assured by Pfizer that none of the drug purchased is in any way traced back to this compounding center. If you have any further questions or concerns related to this issue, please contact Jerome Carter at 704-442-4386.


April 23, 2012 -- Based on mounting evidence that lung cancer screening with CT can save lives, the American Lung Association today recommended CT lung cancer screening for smokers and former smokers. The move is a major step toward the development of a population-based CT screening program in the U.S. Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death for both men and women in the U.S., with more than 150,000 deaths per year and a five-year survival rate as low as 15%. CT screening is the only path -- outside of never smoking to begin with -- that has shown significant potential to reduce lung cancer's toll. The association's interim guidelines reflect recent evidence indicating that most lung cancer deaths can be prevented when detected at an early stage with CT. Recent research from the U.S. National Cancer Institute's National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) found that low-dose CT can reduce mortality by at least 20% compared to chest x-ray, and other reports have pushed the estimated mortality gains even higher. The American Lung Association's guidelines, developed by Dr. Jonathan Samet and colleagues on the association's lung cancer steering committee, follow the NLST recommendations for low-dose CT scans. To qualify for screening under the interim guidelines, individuals must meet the following criteria: Be a current or former smokers (age 55 to 74 years) Have a smoking history of at least 30 pack-years (i.e., smoking a pack a day for 30 years) Have no history of lung cancer The guidelines emphasize that chest x-ray should not be used for lung cancer screening due to its low sensitivity for lung cancer detection in the NLST trial. "This is good news," Dr. Ella Kazerooni, professor of radiology at the University of Michigan, told AuntMinnie.com. "I was a little surprised by the timing since the NLST results came out last fall -- and have actually been out for considerably longer than that -- and the [NLST's] cost-effectiveness analysis is still not out. But the American Lung Association is clearly following on the heels of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, which last fall was the first major professional organization to come out with a recommendation for lung cancer screening with CT in the same population in terms of age and smoking history that was enrolled in NLST." Cost-effectiveness There has been a recent cost-effectiveness analysis, but not from the NLST. Last week, an article in Health Affairs concluded that lung cancer screening for CT would be highly cost-effective, but the analysis was from the third-party payor perspective rather than a public health recommendation, so screening advocates are still waiting for the NLST's cost-effectiveness analysis, which is being put together by Dr. William Black and colleagues at Dartmouth University, Kazerooni said. That paper will hopefully be ready for journal submission by late spring or early summer. "We're very hopeful that [lung cancer screening] will come in line with the cost of other screening tests," Kazerooni said. The endorsement of lung screening by a second major health organization "indicates some growing momentum in the professional community toward lung cancer screening with CT," she said. The recommendation "should ultimately help us face some hurdles with lung cancer screening with CT," which is mostly about third-party reimbursement. But there has been movement there too, Kazerooni said. Finally, last December one of the major third-party payors, WellPoint, said it would begin paying for lung cancer screening with CT in some of its products, "which is another good data point along the way to help build the case with other payors," Kazerooni said. But the biggest remaining hurdle is working with the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) to review their guidelines, hopefully in favor of screening, she said. In its report, the American Lung Association notes that while CT screening may save lives, screening for lung cancer is not recommended for everyone due to many known and unknown risks that may be associated with the screening and subsequent medical evaluation and follow-up. Never starting smoking and quitting smoking remain the best way to prevent lung cancer, said Dr. Norman Edelman, chief medical officer of the American Lung Association, in a statement accompanying release of the report. People should also check their homes for excessive levels of radon, which can increase the risk of lung cancer, he said. The report also recommends referring patients to facilities that have experience in performing low-dose CT scans, along with multidisciplinary teams that can provide comprehensive follow-up. The association also strongly recommends that hospitals and screening centers establish ethical policies for advertising and promoting lung cancer CT screening services. "Our hope is that this report will guide the public on this very important personal and public health issue," said Dr. Albert Rizzo, board chair for the American Lung Association. "We believe that the report and the educational materials that will stem from it will be invaluable to the tens of millions at risk for lung cancer." The full report, titled "American Lung Association Interim Report on Lung Cancer Screening," and related educational materials are available at the association's website.

Did you know? Mammograms can show changes in the breast up to two years before a patient or doctor can feel them. Mammograms should not be pushed to the bottom of women's to-do lists. For those with insurance, mammograms are covered annually at 100 percent by most plans. But what about those without? Charlotte Radiology partners with area health departments and community organizations to provide mammograms for uninsured women. Check out our resource page and this article for more information!

Recent news stories have focused on another mammography study that challenges the benefits of screening mammography. While this latest study noted in the Archives of Internal Medicine points out statistically relevant information about screening mammography's impact on mortality rates from breast cancer, it fails to address the many benefits of screening mammography's ability to catch breast cancers early, such as fewer surgeries and mastectomies and less need for chemotherapy and radiation cancer treatments. Instead their focus is on the many women whose screening mammogram detected a cancer that might not have taken their life.

An analogy could be to compare the suggestions made in the study to wearing seat belts:

Wearing seat belts saves lives --- of those that are in an accident.
(Having mammograms save lives for early detected, moderately aggressive cancers).

Wearing seat belts doesn't save lives -- of people who are not in an accident.
(Having mammograms doesn't save the lives of people who never get cancer, or have non-aggressive cancers).

One of the limits with today's technologies is that we have no way of knowing which breast cancers detected during mammography will in fact become aggressive, life-threatening cancers. Thus the choice of what to treat and what not to treat is sometimes in the hands of the patients, many of whom choose to treat the cancer rather than wait and see if it is going to develop further.

When referencing reduced mortality rates from screening mammography, Charlotte Radiology's physicians quote the American College of Radiology (ACR). The ACR states that since screening began in the U.S. more than 25 years ago, the death rate from breast cancer has declined by more than 30% since 1990. Additionally, Professor Laszlo Tabar, MD, conducted one of the longest running studies on the effects of screening mammography and found mortality reductions as high as 40% for screening mammography.

As Charlotte Radiology is one of the largest breast cancer screening programs in the country, we reviewed our own data to provide a local perspective. From June 1996 - December 2008, Charlotte Radiology performed nearly 625,000 screening mammograms. Of the breast cancers detected in our screening program, 21.4% were found in women ages 40-49. Breast cancer risk rises with age, but our 40-49 group had two-thirds the incidence of cancer compared to the 50-59 group (2.5 compared to 3.8 per thousand screens). These data are consistent with national statistics and confirm that age 50 is not a threshold for cancer.

Finally, Charlotte Radiology recommends the breast cancer detection guidelines as posted by the American Cancer Society and American College of Radiology.

Reference to Welch and Frankel Study in Archives of Internal Medicine:
http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/archinternmed.2011.476

ACR Response to Welch and Frankel Study in Archives of Internal Medicine:
http://www.acr.org/HomePageCategories/News/ACRNewsCenter/ACR-Statement-on-Welch-and-Frankel.aspx

Reston, VA (August 30, 2011) — Six eminent leaders from academic and private practice radiology have been appointed by the American College of Radiology (ACR) to serve on the board of directors for ACR's Radiology Leadership Institute (RLI). RLI is radiology's first professional development and leadership academy. "While leadership skills may be consistent across practice settings, what can differ are professional development paths and the skills needed to advance in private practice radiology and academia," said Cynthia S. Sherry, MD, FACR, medical director of RLI and chair of the ACR Commission on Leadership and Practice Development. "The collaboration of academic and private practice radiology leaders on the board of directors will help RLI develop a balanced and robust curriculum that targets all levels of radiology experience, whether participants are in private practice or academia." Representing more than 100 years of combined service in radiology, the following academic and private practice radiologists have been selected to serve on the RLI Board of Directors: Cynthia Sherry, MD, FACR, FACPE, is the medical director of RLI and chair of the ACR Commission on Leadership and Practice Development. She is chair of the radiology department at Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, TX. Sherry served on the ACR Task Force on Relationships between Radiology Groups and Hospitals and Other Healthcare Organizations. She is also a member and past president of the American College of Physician Executives. Cheri Canon, MD, is professor and chair of radiology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine. She is currently chair of the ACR Commission on Education and serves on the ACR Board of Chancellors and education advisory board for the American Institute for Radiologic Pathology. Arl Van Moore Jr, MD, FACR, is a practicing radiologist and president of Charlotte Radiology in Charlotte, NC. He is former chair of the ACR Board of Chancellors and ACR Task Force on International Teleradiology. Moore has been active in ACR on the state and national level for many years. He is also chairman of the Board of Strategic Radiology, a radiology group founded by 15 of the largest radiology groups in the U.S. consisting of more than 800 radiologists. Lawrence Muroff, MD, FACR, is CEO and president of Imaging Consultants, Inc. He is also a clinical professor of radiology at the University of Florida and the University of South Florida College of Medicine. Muroff is president emeritus of Educational Symposia, Inc., one of the nation's largest educators of diagnostic imagers. Alexander Norbash, MD, MHCM, FACR, is chairman and professor of radiology, and assistant dean for diversity at Boston University. He is an active interventional neuroradiologist. Geoffrey Rubin, MD, is the George Barth Geller professor for cardiovascular research; chairman of the department of radiology at the Duke University School of Medicine and radiologist-in-chief at Duke University Hospital. Over the next several months and beyond, board members will work closely with RLI faculty, ACR education department staff and other subject matter experts to continue to develop the RLI curriculum. The Institute's inaugural event is July 12¬–15, 2012, at Northwestern University's Evanston, IL campus. More information about RLI is available at www.acr.org/RLI.

A National Cancer Institute trial of 53,000 smokers and ex-smokers has shown that using CT to screen for lung cancer instead of a chest X-ray has reduced deaths from lung cancer by 20 percent over just five years. If you or a loved one are at high risk for lung cancer, the imaging experts at Charlotte Radiology encourage you to speak with your primary care physician about using CT to screen protocol.

Click here for more information on CT Lung Cancer Screening at Charlotte Radiology.

For more information on the National Cancer Institute Trial:

» National Institutes of Health
» American Cancer Society
» CNN Story
» Reuters Story
» Yahoo News Story

Arl Van Moore Jr.The American College of Radiology (ACR) Board of Chancellors awarded the College’s highest honor, the ACR Gold Medal, to Charlotte Radiology President Arl Van Moore, Jr., MD, FACR, of Charlotte, at their spring conference in Washington, DC on May 15, 2011.

Annually, the ACR Board of Chancellors considers and votes on no more than three candidates for the Gold Medal Award. Candidates are recommended based on their distinguished and extraordinary service to the ACR or the discipline of radiology.

Dr. Moore has been active in the ACR on both the state and national levels. He is a past Chairman of the ACR Board of Chancellors and a recent past President of the ACR. As a member of the Board of Chancellors, he also held the office of Secretary Treasurer and Vice-Chairman of the Board. He chaired the ACR Task Force on Disaster Preparedness, and the International Teleradiology Task Force. He has served on the Council Steering Committee and has held numerous offices in the North Carolina Chapter of the ACR including President and Councilor. He has also distinguished himself serving as the ACR delegate to American Medical Association since 1998.

“Dr. Moore’s service to both the ACR and to the Charlotte medical community has been outstanding,” said fellow radiologist Christopher Ullrich, MD FACR, Neuroradiologist and Board Member for Charlotte Radiology. “His many contributions to the field of radiology have allowed us to make great strides over the years, and his insights and leadership are especially valued in recent months as we respond to the new healthcare reforms.”

Dr. Moore is a practicing radiologist and President of Charlotte Radiology in Charlotte, North Carolina, and serves as Chairman for Strategic Radiology, a national consortium of more than 890 radiologists partnered to share best-practice approaches to radiology. He received his BS at the University of Mississippi in Chemical Engineering and was commissioned as a line officer in the US Navy. He received postgraduate training in nuclear engineering and subsequently served as a nuclear engineer in the US Navy Nuclear Submarine Service. After his naval service he went to the University of Arkansas School of Medicine where he received his MD degree. After completing his radiology residency and fellowship at Duke University Medical Center, he continued at Duke on the Radiology Department teaching faculty. He joined Charlotte Radiology in 1983. He is ABR certified in Diagnostic Radiology and has an ABR certificate of added qualification in Interventional Radiology. He is currently a Clinical Assistant Professor of Radiology at Duke. He has published several papers and book chapters.

Dr. Moore and his wife Marie reside in Charlotte, North Carolina where he has been in the practice of radiology as an interventional radiologist and cross sectional imager for over 26 years.

A major critique of the Norway mammography study and other recent screening mammography studies is that they only measure one benefit of mammography — the decreased rate of mortality. But early detection of cancer — the purpose of mammography — is important for reasons beyond the lives it saves.

"For cancers detected early, surgery is less drastic and usually allows for preservation of the breast. In addition, fewer cases of early cancer spread to lymph nodes as well as reduced use of chemotherapy which is often expensive and debilitating," explains Dr. Matthew Gromet, breast imaging specialist with Charlotte Radiology.

The most recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine by Kalager et al (New Eng J Med 2010. 363:1203-1210) attributed a small benefit in mortality reduction to screening mammography, however the women weren't followed long enough. Cancers detected at a later stage are more difficult to treat and more likely to advance and/or return at a later time.

The breast cancer death rate has declined by 30% since 1990 when screening guidelines were enforced in the US. Why reverse this encouraging trend by discouraging early detection through mammography? Awareness and better treatments certainly attribute to this decrease, but it is no coincidence that the declining trends are consistent with more women getting screened.

In fact, new regulations by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will require private health insurers to cover preventive and early detection services, including annual screening mammography for women age 40 and older, with no cost sharing or co-pays in health plans issued or renewed after September 23, 2010.

The recommendation from breast health experts is consistent. 40 is the age to schedule your first mammogram and start an annual routine. Since 75% of women with breast cancer have no family history, there's no reason to wait. Following the American Cancer Society's guidelines for the early detection of breast cancer improves the chances that breast cancer can be diagnosed at an early stage and treated successfully.

For more Information please see:

American Cancer Society Blog Response: What Norway Tells Us About Screening Mammograms And Access To Care

Revised draft recommendations released by the US Preventative Services Task Force this week suggest that women at higher risk for osteoporosis be screened sooner than women who are at average risk for the bone-loss disease. The new draft recommendation from the USPS Task Force is an update to their 2002 recommendation and is based on a report from the Annals of Internal Medicine.

To find out if you are at a higher risk, take our Risk Assessment at: Questionaire

For more information on Bone Density Testing and the our sub-specialized musculoskeletal radiologists at Charlotte Radiology, visit: Bone Density Testing

Dr. Gromet, Charlotte Radiology's Chief of Breast Imaging, exposes many of the flaws in the Task Force mammogram recommendations released in November 2009. His article, published in the Atlanta Journal Constitution, reinforces the fact that women need to begin their annual screening mammogram routine at age 40.

AJC: The Bottom Line: Mammograms Save Lives

New study in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons finds US Preventative Services Task Force mammography recommendations could hinder early detection.

Palpable breast cancers are more common in women not undergoing annual mammography

Recent concerns over radiation exposure from imaging studies have left some patients unsure about the radiology studies ordered by their physicians. Radiology studies like CT, MRI, Nuclear Medicine, Ultrasound, X-ray and mammography are imaging tools used to help diagnosis patients medical conditions. Some of these studies use radiation to obtain the picture, including CT, X-ray, Nuclear Medicine and mammography. The amount of radiation exposure varies by procedure, but typically radiation doses from imaging exams are relatively small and the clinical benefit of an exam far outweighs the risks.

Charlotte Radiology is committed to quality, accurate reads and participates in the American College of Radiology's (ACR) quality initiative programs. As a result we are actively involved in understanding and weighing the benefits and risk of our imaging procedures. Our "Radiation Risks" flier outlines some frequently asked questions as well as provides some questions you can ask your doctor about the test he or she recommended. You can learn more or download a PDF of the flier here.

Also notable, is a research story that broke last week indicating that women get 22% less radiation from Digital Mammography than from traditional analogue mammography. Charlotte Radiology is pleased to be the areas first provider for digital mammography; today all 12 of our Breast Imaging Centers are fully digital! Learn more here.

For more information or questions about radiation used in imaging studies, please call 704-334-7810.

Charlotte Radiology disagrees with the conclusions of the mammography study released on October 13 in the New England Journal of Medicine (Welch et al. study) siting the use of inaccurate data sources and proof from larger studies that indicates that the most lives are saved by annual screening mammograms beginning at age 40. To learn more, click one of the links below:


  • Charlotte Radiology 10/13/2016 Press Release "New mammography study not supported by Charlotte Radiology physicians"

  • Mammography FAQs

    • Charlotte Radiology stands firmly behind its recommendations of annual mammography starting at age 40, to ensure the maximum benefit from screening mammography. Our guidelines are in accordance with the American College of Radiology and Society for Breast Imaging. While both U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and the American Cancer Society have revised their screening mammography guidelines, their data still indicates that starting annual mammography at age 40 saves the most lives. Charlotte Radiology’s local data of more than 1.1 million screening mammograms shows that 20% of the cancers detected by a screening mammogram were in women ages 40-49, further supporting the start of screening mammograms at the age of 40. Additionally 40% of the life years lost to breast cancer are in women diagnosed in their 40s. For more information, see the following links:
  • Charlotte Radiology Mammography FAQ Sheet
  • Charlotte Area Radiology Groups Respond To USPSTF Mammography Recommendations
  • ACR & Society for Breast Imaging Respose to USPSTF Mammmography Recommendations

    • Charlotte Radiology stands firmly behind its recommendations of annual mammography starting at age 40, to ensure the maximum benefit from screening mammography. Our guidelines are in accordance with the American College of Radiology and Society for Breast Imaging. While both U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and the American Cancer Society have revised their screening mammography guidelines, their data still indicates that starting annual mammography at age 40 saves the most lives. Charlotte Radiology’s local data of more than 1.1 million screening mammograms shows that 20% of the cancers detected by a screening mammogram were in women ages 40-49, further supporting the start of screening mammograms at the age of 40. Additionally 40% of the life years lost to breast cancer are in women diagnosed in their 40s.

    For more info, visit: www.charlotteradiology.com/pdfs/CRScreeningMammRecommendations.pdf

    Charlotte Radiology applauds Medicare’s February 5th decision to cover CT lung cancer screenings (CTLCS)

    Group says test may help save as many as 20,000 lives in the United States every year

    "We are thrilled that Medicare recognizes the benefit of this life-saving test,” said Dr. Michael Kelley, a radiologist with Charlotte Radiology. “It is the first test to have improved the survival rate of lung cancer in five decades, and now both Medicare and privately-insured patients will have access to it without the financial burdens of paying for the exam out-of-pocket.”

    Dr. Kelley, who lost his father to lung cancer, was the radiologist who read Charlotte Radiology’s first positive CTLCS patient’s study. The screening helped to diagnose the lung cancer at a stage 2, early enough for treatment to be effective and the patient to be cancer-free after surgery and a short round of Chemotherapy.

    For more information see:

    http://www.cms.gov/Newsroom/MediaReleaseDatabase/Press-releases/2015-Press-releases-items/2015-02-05.html

    http://www.charlotteradiology.com/pdfs/CTLungScreeningFINAL2.6.pdf

    To schedule an interview with Dr. Kelley or the Charlotte Radiology CTLCS patient, please contact:

    Kathy Rowan – 704-591-8945
    Katie Robbins – 980-297-1460

    CHARLOTTE, N.C., July 30, 2013 – Charlotte Radiology, the area’s largest mammography provider, is the first breast center in Charlotte to offer digital breast tomosynthesis (also known as 3D mammography). The procedure will be offered at Charlotte Radiology’s Pineville Breast Center (10650 Park Rd. Suite 280) starting the week of August 19th, providing convenient, local access to this advanced technology.

    Tomosynthesis creates multiple images or “slices” that step through the breast tissue. This allows the radiologist to see greater detail and helps reduce the impact of overlapping breast tissue. The process is performed at the same time as a traditional 2D mammogram, on the same scanner with no noticeable difference in the experience or time expended for the patient.

    “Tomosynthesis gives us the ability to see masses, particularly in dense breast tissue, that we might have difficulty detecting with traditional mammography. Because it reduces the overlap of tissue, most investigators have found that it leads to fewer callbacks and therefore less anxiety for women," explains Dr. Matthew Gromet, Chief of Mammography at Charlotte Radiology.

    The procedure was approved by the FDA in February 2011 and is a modification of the current 2D (digital) mammography. The exam is performed on state-of-the-art digital equipment, which is able to obtain multiple low-dose images of a compressed breast from different angles. These images are then viewed individually and dynamically. Radiologists are able to view breast tissue layer by layer, one millimeter at a time, similar to a CT scan.

    Dr. Terry Wallace a specialist in breast imaging for Charlotte Radiology noted, “Tomosynthesis is an exciting revolutionary technology that gives us the ability to scroll through each layer or slice of tissue to see what it really looks like. It reveals greater detail, which may help us detect cancer sooner.”

    Tomosynthesis is an optional service for the patient, which supplements the traditional mammographic images. While 2D digital mammography remains the gold standard for early detection, 3D images can offer better visualization for radiologists who are helping certain groups of patients – particularly those with dense breasts. A woman’s breast tissue density is determined by a prior mammogram.

    “All women may benefit from tomosynthesis; however, there is increased benefit to women with dense breast tissue because dense breast tissue may look similar to cancer tissue. 2D mammography can’t always differentiate between cancer and dense breast tissue” says Dr. Deborah Agisim, a specialist in breast imaging for Charlotte Radiology. “For example, if a 2D mammogram detects an area of concern, the radiologists may want to further investigate with a diagnostic mammogram, ultrasound or biopsy. Looking at the same breast tissue in 3D, the radiologist may now see that the tissue is in fact normal breast tissue. In this scenario, the patient likely avoided a callback for an additional mammogram.”

    The radiation dose is approximately the same for tomosynthesis as it is for traditional 2D mammography. So the radiation is roughly doubled when doing a 2D mammogram along with tomosynthesis. Even this combined dose is still below the FDA-regulated limit for 2D mammography and has been found by the FDA to be safe and effective for patient use.

    Insurance does not yet cover the tomosynthesis portion of the mammogram. However, the 2D portion of the exam is covered 100 percent by most plans. Patients will be required to pay an out-of-pocket fee of $50 at the time of service if they opt to supplement their mammogram with tomosynthesis.

    To learn more about 3D Mammography, and find photos, videos and fast facts, please visit www.charlotteradiology.com/tomo

    Congratulations Dr. Moore!Congratulations to our very own Dr. Moore who was honored with four other outstanding area physicians as Charlotte Business Journal's Physician of the Year! The Charlotte Business Journal and SunTrust Bank hosted the Excellence in Healthcare Awards today. A write up on Dr. Moore and all the winners will be available in next Thursday's Business Journal.

    In response to the recent study appearing in The Lancet stating that children who have undergone multiple CT’s have an increased risk of developing brain cancer or leukemia, Charlotte Radiology aligns itself with the Society for Pediatric Radiology (SPR). Following is a summary of the SPR response to the study:

    - CT examinations can be lifesaving, and provide many benefits for the diagnosis and management of childhood disorders.
    - The benefits of a CT examination, when indicated and performed appropriately, far outweigh the risks or potential risks.
    - Today’s CT scanners have undergone many design and technological advancements, and thus use a fraction of the radiation dose of early CT scanners.
    - There have been significant improvements in how CT scanning is performed in children (such as eliminating multiple phase scans, limiting the area scanned, and using appropriate child size machine settings) that also have lowered doses.
    - Whenever possible, appropriate imaging modalities which do not use ionizing radiation, such as MR and ultrasound, should be considered.



    The society also recommends that patients, parents and caregivers advocate for their children, following the recommendations of many organizations, including the Image Gently Alliance, by:

    - Asking your physician or radiologist if CT is the right study to do, or would another examination that does not use radiation be acceptable.
    - Assuring that the CT examination is going to be performed by an appropriately certified/accredited technologist and facility.
    - Inquiring if size or age appropriated CT techniques will be used.



    For additional information:
    Charlotte Radiology Radiation Dosage Resource Page

    Charlotte Radiology would like to clarify the findings from a recent study published in the NEJM, “Bone-Density Testing Interval and Transition to Osteoporosis in Older Women.” The study results have been misinterpreted by the media, indicating there is an overuse of DEXA testing in this population. The population of the study was made up of healthy women with normal or low bone mineral density, not those diagnosed with osteoporosis or prior fractures. Therefore, the osteoporosis patients should continue working with their healthcare providers to have bone density screenings every 2 years, or as recommended, to monitor their condition.

    Please refer to the following links for more detailed information as provided by two reputable organizations, the National Osteoporosis Foundation and The International Society for Clinical Densitometry.

    National Osteoporosis Foundation

    http://www.nof.org/node/692

    American Bone Health http://www.americanbonehealth.org/images/stories/BMD_Testing_Interval_ISCD_Response_to_NEJM_Article.pdf


    Charlotte Radiology

    Orthopedic Radiology Section

    Robert Raible, MD

    James Coumas, MD

    Brian Howard, MD

    Ken Wolfson, MD

    Robert Lopez, MD

    W. Carey Werthmuller, MD

    Tom Jones, MD

    Recent news stories have focused on another mammography study that challenges the benefits of screening mammography. While this latest study noted in the Archives of Internal Medicine points out statistically relevant information about screening mammography's impact on mortality rates from breast cancer, it fails to address the many benefits of screening mammography's ability to catch breast cancers early, such as fewer surgeries and mastectomies and less need for chemotherapy and radiation cancer treatments. Instead their focus is on the many women whose screening mammogram detected a cancer that might not have taken their life.

    An analogy could be to compare the suggestions made in the study to wearing seat belts:

    Wearing seat belts saves lives --- of those that are in an accident.
    (Having mammograms save lives for early detected, moderately aggressive cancers).

    Wearing seat belts doesn't save lives -- of people who are not in an accident.
    (Having mammograms doesn't save the lives of people who never get cancer, or have non-aggressive cancers).

    One of the limits with today's technologies is that we have no way of knowing which breast cancers detected during mammography will in fact become aggressive, life-threatening cancers. Thus the choice of what to treat and what not to treat is sometimes in the hands of the patients, many of whom choose to treat the cancer rather than wait and see if it is going to develop further.

    When referencing reduced mortality rates from screening mammography, Charlotte Radiology's physicians quote the American College of Radiology (ACR). The ACR states that since screening began in the U.S. more than 25 years ago, the death rate from breast cancer has declined by more than 30% since 1990. Additionally, Professor Laszlo Tabar, MD, conducted one of the longest running studies on the effects of screening mammography and found mortality reductions as high as 40% for screening mammography.

    As Charlotte Radiology is one of the largest breast cancer screening programs in the country, we reviewed our own data to provide a local perspective. From June 1996 - December 2008, Charlotte Radiology performed nearly 625,000 screening mammograms. Of the breast cancers detected in our screening program, 21.4% were found in women ages 40-49. Breast cancer risk rises with age, but our 40-49 group had two-thirds the incidence of cancer compared to the 50-59 group (2.5 compared to 3.8 per thousand screens). These data are consistent with national statistics and confirm that age 50 is not a threshold for cancer.

    Finally, Charlotte Radiology recommends the breast cancer detection guidelines as posted by the American Cancer Society and American College of Radiology.

    In light of recent media reports, questioning the early detection benefits of Computer Aided Detection (CAD) for breast cancer, we have reposted a study performed by Dr. Matthew Gromet, Charlotte Radiology’s Chief of Mammography. The study, published in the April 2008 issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology, compared the recall rate, sensitivity, positive predictive value and cancer detection rate for single reading with CAD, verses double reading without CAD. Dr. Gromet found that a single reader with CAD had a statistically significant increase in sensitivity and a smaller increase in recall rate, when compared to a single reader without CAD assistance. The study also found single reading with CAD, when compared to independent double reading, resulted in the same sensitivity, but lower recall rates. The conclusion is that CAD appears to provide an effective alternative with similar and potentially greater breast cancer detection benefits. More: http://www.ajronline.org/content/190/4/854.full

    29-year long study proves benefits of annual screening mammograms, showing that 30% fewer women in the screening group died of breast cancer.

    Charlotte Radiology's Traveling Breast Center Improves Women's Access to Annual Screenings

    A new mobile mammography unit will offer women in Mecklenburg, Gaston, Union and York counties easy access to early screening for breast cancer and could increase the number of women who get an annual screening mammogram.

    Charlotte Radiology's mobile breast center hits the road Jan. 24, 2011 and will bring early breast cancer detection to locations in and around Charlotte. It's the first and only mobile mammography center dedicated to the four counties it serves.

    The mobile center is a 38-foot long, state-of-the-art breast screening center on wheels. The vehicle is staffed by two mammography certified technologists and includes a registration and waiting area, two private dressing rooms and an exam room for completing the mammogram.

    The Charlotte Radiology mobile unit will perform digital mammography exams, which improves exam quality, reduces radiation and shortens exam times.

    Each exam will be interpreted by a board certified physician specialized in breast imaging. Most appointments take less than 30 minutes.

    "Meeting our community's breast health needs and saving patients' lives is our top priority," said Charlotte Radiology president, Van Moore, M.D., F.A.C.R. "By offering our breast health expertise on wheels, we hope to bring early breast cancer detection services to women in a convenient, accessible way."

    Only 68% of women ages 40 and above have had a mammogram within the past two years, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Charlotte Radiology hopes to improve that number.

    "Our mobile breast center will allow Charlotte Radiology to reach women in the workplace and underserved areas," explained Cathleen Bates, Charlotte Radiology Breast Center Manager. "Our goal is to improve access and educate women about the importance of early detection, ultimately increasing the number of women getting their annual mammogram."

    With the mobile center, Charlotte Radiology will be able to partner with local health departments and organizations to improve access to breast screening for the uninsured and underinsured.

    Mecklenburg County has a reported breast cancer rate of more than 120 cases per 100,000 people, according to the National Cancer Institute — higher than the national average.

    To learn more about our mobile breast center or to schedule a visit for your business or organization, please click here.. To schedule a screening mammography exam, call Charlotte Radiology at (704) 367-2232 or (877) 362-2232 toll free. A physician referral is not necessary for a screening mammogram, but patients will need to provide their physician's name to forward exam results.

    Strategic Radiology (SR) announced today that it has named Mark J. Kleinschmidt as CEO. Kleinschmidt has worked in the radiology field for twenty two years and most recently served as CEO of St. Paul Radiology and Senior Vice President of Business Services for NightHawk Radiology.

    Press release: Strategic Radiology names Kleinschmidt as CEO

    For ten years, the Mecklenburg County Health Department (MCHD) has provided screening mammography services to the uninsured and underinsured women of Mecklenburg County. Charlotte Radiology Breast Center has been a partner of the MCHD, providing their patients with screening mammography readings, in addition to performing diagnostic exams when needed. To improve accessibility to state-of-the-art technology, the MCHD has discontinued on-site screening mammography and is now referring patients for digital screening mammography to Charlotte Radiology, which has nine convenient breast centers in Mecklenburg County.

    Press Release: New Mammography Resources for Low Income Women in Mecklenburg County

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is hosting a two-day hearing to learn more about efforts being made to reduce patient exposure to radiation in medical imaging. Speakers range from equipment vendors who have added features to their imaging units that will reduce exposure, to the American College of Radiology (ACR). Both of these groups have implemented awareness campaigns and quality assurance initiatives.

    Charlotte Radiology is proud to be closely aligned with the ACR, an industry leader in managing radiation exposure. Our group has embraced the "Image Gently" campaign which has raised awareness of pediatric radiation from medical imaging and how to limit radiation dose in children. Additionally, we participate in the ACR's quality assurance programs and have had the imaging equipment at our sites accredited to ensure that minimal doses of radiation are used. We recognize the risks involved with certain imaging studies and are committed to a continual review of our processes. We are currently developing protocols which seek ways to further limit radiation exposure while maintaining image quality for accurate diagnoses.

    To learn more about radiation risks from medical imaging and how Charlotte Radiology is leading the way in managing those risks for the safety of our patients, visit: Charlotte Radiology Radiation Dosage

    Having founded a formal organization in 2009, thirteen private-practice radiology groups across the country representing over 750 physicians today publicly announced the formation of Strategic Radiology (SR), an entity that embodies the vision and clinical goals of this network of like-minded regional medical practices, according to Van Moore, MD, Chairman of SR and president of Charlotte Radiology.

    Press release: Regional Radiology Groups Form a National Consortium

    Charlotte Radiology and Cabarrus Radiologists are pleased to announce the completion of their merger, January 1, 2010. The groups have agreed to keep Charlotte Radiology's name and together employee more than 80 radiologists in 10 sub-specialty areas ranging from pediatric imaging and breast imaging to neuroradiology and musculoskeletal radiology. The merger provides opportunities for the group to further improve their quality patient care, allowing for expanded sub-specialized radiology coverage and the integration of their medical systems, which will further enhance access to patient records and reports.

    They will provide sub-specialized radiology services to several hospitals in NC, including Carolinas Healthcare System hospitals in Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Union, Lincoln and Anson counties, as well as Scotland Memorial Hospital, Davis Regional Medical Center and First Health Richmond Memorial Hospital. In addition to the radiology services they provide to CHS, Charlotte Radiology now jointly owns five outpatient imaging centers, a vein and vascular center, an interventional clinic, 12 breast imaging centers, two mobile MRIs and a mobile ultrasound.

    Press release: Local Radiology Groups Merger Complete

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