KnowYourImages Youtube Channel

I have posted several videos in this blog and now most of them (27 to be exact) are compiled in a Youtube playlist on the blog's Channel. With this playlist, you don't need to search the blog for the videos, because there are all here. Have fun!

ESMRMB 2013 - Abstract Submission

This year's deadline for abstract submission is 30th May, so there is no time left to submit. In October, the conference will be in Toulouse, France. Since this is the 30th ESMRMB conference, there will be special surprises according to the organizers. Some preliminary information about the programme is already online.
More information here.



Don't forget that next year, ESMRMB will be held together with ISMRM in Milan and the deadline will be in November. Keep track of your conferences with the Medical Imaging Google Calendar.

Angelina Jolie doesn't trust medical imaging

Angelina Jolie shocked us all with her decision to remove both her breasts in order to prevent breast cancer. Her breast cancer risk was calculated based on genetics and was 87%. Now it is 5%. I have to agree that this woman is brave! However, I think a very intense screening could have been done with very good results. There are several methods to detect breast cancer: (digital) mammography, tomosynthesis, breast MRI, ultrasound, positron emission tomography and even microwave imaging. Some without any risk, besides the huge amount of money that they cost if we would perform them on every woman. I think money is not a problem for Angelina Jolie and she could get checked out as many times as she wanted...



The following article "Warner, E. (2004). Surveillance of BRCA1 and BRCA2 Mutation Carriers With Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Ultrasound, Mammography, and Clinical Breast Examination JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association, 292 (11), 1317-1325 DOI: 10.1001/jama.292.11.1317" refers all these important points:

- "Women with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations who do not undergo prophylactic surgery have a lifetime risk of breast cancer of up to 85%, with a significantly higher risk of breast cancer than the general population from age 25 years onward." - This is the case of Angelina Jolie.

- "The combination of MRI, ultrasound, and mammography had a sensitivity of 95%." - great numbers!

- "To date, the reluctance to use breast MRI for surveillance of high-risk women outside the context of a clinical trial relates, to a large extent, to its high cost and relatively low specificity compared with mammography." - This would not be a problem for Angelina Jolie.

- "In conclusion, our results support the position that MRI-based screening is likely to become the cornerstone of breast cancer surveillance for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers, but it is necessary to demonstrate that this surveillance tool lowers breast cancer mortality before it can be recommended for general use." - A public figure like Angelina Jolie could help this matter.

And another article "Kriege M, Brekelmans CT, Boetes C, Besnard PE, Zonderland HM, Obdeijn IM, Manoliu RA, Kok T, Peterse H, Tilanus-Linthorst MM, Muller SH, Meijer S, Oosterwijk JC, Beex LV, Tollenaar RA, de Koning HJ, Rutgers EJ, Klijn JG, & Magnetic Resonance Imaging Screening Study Group (2004). Efficacy of MRI and mammography for breast-cancer screening in women with a familial or genetic predisposition. The New England journal of medicine, 351 (5), 427-37 PMID: 15282350" states: "In conclusion, our study shows that the screening program we used, especially MRI screening, can detect breast cancer at an early stage in women at risk for breast cancer."

Back online!

After a couple of weeks with important work appointments and then some holidays, I am back online and will start publishing posts as usual.

See you tomorrow!

Microwave for breast imaging?

When we hear the word microwave, we immediately think about the heating device we have in our kitchen. But the word microwave just means waves with wavelengths from ranging from 1 meter to 1 millimeter (corresponding frequencies are 300MHz to 300 GHz). Microwave technology has been used in several engineering fields, and biomedical engineering is no exception. Microwave technology is used in the Radio Frequency components for MRI, but it also can be used as an imaging modality of its own. Microwave Imaging is research in progress, but there have been a number of groups working on this, which makes me believe that this will be available soon.

What are the principles behind Microwave Imaging?
Living tissues have different electrical properties than those of air. Therefore, the setup usually involves a liquid around the object and where the antenna is also immersed, so that the interface is minimized. When microwave radiation interacts with living tissue, microwaves can be transmitted, reflected or dissipated (by heat). The penetration of the microwaves goes until about 10 cm. The transmitting antenna emits microwaves and other antennas receive the transmitted and reflected waves. (The transmitting antenna can also receive.) There are differences in the properties of healthy tissue and malignant tumors. The tumors cause the waves to suffer scatter and the waves have now different energy (frequency). With the information of the detected waves, an image can be obtained (through some complicated methods) or the signals can be analyzed.

Advantages of Microwave Imaging:
- Low Cost
- Non-ionizing radiation




The main clinical application of Microwave imaging is breast cancer. This is due to several reasons:
1. Breast tissues are usually above the 10 cm penetration limit.
2. Breast cancer screening will greatly benefit from a low cost and non-ionizing radiation, as well as less painful acquisition for the patients.
 



Image from here.

More about this technique can be read in:
Fear, E., Meaney, P., & Stuchly, M. (2003). Microwaves for breast cancer detection? IEEE Potentials, 22 (1), 12-18 DOI: 10.1109/MP.2003.1180933
Nikolova, N. (2011). Microwave Imaging for Breast Cancer IEEE Microwave Magazine, 12 (7), 78-94 DOI: 10.1109/MMM.2011.942702

Recent news about microwave imaging for breast cancer:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/04/130423211830.htm

Dissecting Art, Intersecting Anatomy - Medical illustration

Pauline Lariviere was an artist whose main contributions were made to the field of medical illustration. As a scientist in the medical field, medical illustrations are essential to education. I have already spent some hours drawing something in the computer for a paper or presentation. In old times, all illustrations were done by hand, but nowadays computers play an important role and medical images are often used as a basis to medical illustrations. Here is an example of a medical illustration based on a CT scan:


The video is about an exhibition which pays a tribute to Pauline Lariviere.

Dissecting Art; Intersecting Anatomy from Phillip Schalekamp on Vimeo.

More about the history of medical illustration and the role of computers can be read in:
Tsafrir, J., & Ohry, A. (2001). Medical illustration: from caves to cyberspace‡ Health Information & Libraries Journal, 18 (2), 99-109 DOI: 10.1046/j.1471-1842.2001.d01-16.x
Corl, F., Garland, M., & Fishman, E. (2000). Role of Computer Technology in Medical Illustration American Journal of Roentgenology, 175 (6), 1519-1524 DOI: 10.2214/ajr.175.6.1751519

European Month of the Brain

Today starts the European Month of the Brain. I certainly hoped that this information would have been publicized much more. I only come to this information by chance. Let's hope we hear more about this during this month!

"Brain research in Europe needs a decisive effort. We must invest more, define clearer and more innovative research and healthcare strategies, and better coordinate national efforts. We therefore decided to make May 2013 the European Month of the Brain - a full month packed with events and activities to make decision-makers, stakeholders, the media and the public aware of the successes achieved and the challenges still laying ahead for brain research."



The main webpage is here and links about funding are also very useful.