[Nuclear Medicine] Hybrid modalities disappoint in bone metastases accuracy

Nuclear Medicine

“Despite the apparent technological advantages of SPECT/CT, PET/CT, and PET/MRI, the three hybrid modalities do not perform appreciably better than planar bone scintigraphy in detecting and diagnosing bone metastases, according to a study published online August 10 in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.”

Spending thousands of dollars to purchase the most advanced flat screen technology for your living room may not be a good decision if there’s no improvement in programming. Diagnostic imaging is no different. Acquiring the most advanced, complex and usually most costly technology for diagnostic imaging, and not changing the therapeutic outcome for a patient group may not be the best use of scarce capital dollars. The images may be sharper, the acquisition may be shorter and the equipment may boost your self-esteem, but if it doesn’t change the differential outcome why are we spending the money? Assessing your department’s actual clinical requirements prior to being sold on new technology is the best way to determine if you’re selecting the right scanner and getting the best value.

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