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Obesity Drives CT Dose, Interval Cancer AI, and Rethinking AI Roles
July 31, 2025
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Together with
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“[W]e’ve been implementing AI like sprinkling digital fairy dust on broken workflows. The real opportunity isn’t marginal accuracy gains, it’s workflow transformation.”
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Pranav Rajpurkar, PhD, of Harvard University, on the need for redefining roles between AI and radiologists.
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Artificial intelligence is helping radiologists detect breast cancer at stages earlier than ever before. In this edition of The Imaging Wire Show, we talked to breast radiologist Hannah Milch, MD, of UCLA Health Radiology about AI’s game-changing potential.
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The proportion of patients getting CT scans with high radiation doses more than tripled over a five-year period. That’s according to a new study in British Journal of Radiology that found the rate of high-dose CT rising along with growing obesity rates – despite technical advances in CT instrumentation.
CT radiation dose has been closely watched due to its potential to cause cancer.
- A controversial paper published earlier this year in JAMA Internal Medicine estimated that all the CT scans performed in a year in the U.S. would cause 100k cancers.
- And another recent paper made a connection between the number of CT scanners installed in a country and the number of patients with high cumulative radiation exposure (over 100 mSv) over five years.
In the new paper, a research team led by radiation safety expert Madan Rehani, PhD, tracked radiation exposure to patients who got CT exams at Massachusetts General Hospital from 2013 to 2022.
- They defined high-dose CT exams as those in which individual exam radiation dose exceeded 50 mSv.
Over a 10-year period, nearly 1.4 million CT exams were performed on 382k patients, revealing that the rate of CT exams with effective doses ≥ 50 mSv…
- Was less than 1%, but more than tripled from 2017 to 2022 (0.25% to 0.86%).
- 59% of high-dose exams were multiphase studies (≥ 3 phases).
- The rate of high-dose CT exams rose 7X faster in overweight and obese patients than in their underweight or normal-weight counterparts in a subset of 5k patients with available BMI data.
There was a close association between obesity and radiation dose, as patients with larger body habitus require more radiation to penetrate deeper for diagnostic-quality images.
- Ironically, the introduction of CT scanners with higher table weight capacity and larger gantry diameter may have contributed to the increase by making it possible to scan patients who previously were too large to be imaged.
Researchers also believe the rise in radiation dose starting in 2018 occurred around the same time as MGH’s introduction of more advanced CT scanners with more powerful X-ray tubes.
The Takeaway
The new findings on CT radiation dose illustrate the balancing act that imaging providers face between radiation safety and achieving optimal image quality. With obesity rates steadily rising, it’s a choice that will become increasingly common.
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A Bold Transformation in Client Experience
Intelerad is transforming how it supports customers and partners with clients through a company-wide Client Obsession initiative. The company is making investments in new tools, technologies, and staff to remove friction and deliver value – find out how it works on this page.
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What Does Improved MRI Efficiency Mean?
There’s a growing need for practical, cost-effective solutions to improve efficiency in MRI and other modalities. Read this article from Karen Holzberger of SpinTech MRI and James Backstrom, MD, to learn how the company’s STAGE software can help.
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Transform Your Practice into a Multispecialty Powerhouse
Medality is the practice development platform that helps radiologists upskill in high-growth, advanced imaging areas. Request a demo today and discover how to transform your practice into a multispecialty powerhouse.
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- Which CT Scans Produce High Doses? In another study on CT radiation, researchers analyzed factors contributing to high-radiation-dose (≥ 50 mSv) CT scans in an emergency department over four years. Out of 166k CT scans analyzed, 0.81% were ≥ 50 mSv, with a large majority being aorta CT scans (62%) followed by chest/abdomen/pelvis (14%). Highest median doses were seen in the extremities (67 mSv), aorta (60 mSv), and chest/abdomen/pelvis (59 mSv). The percentage of scans ≥ 50 mSv nearly doubled from 2019 to 2022 (0.50% to 0.92%).
- AI Catches Interval Breast Cancers: Lunit’s Insight DBT algorithm detected one-third of interval cancers missed on original screening DBT mammograms. In a new study in Radiology, researchers had Insight DBT retrospectively analyze 224 false-negative DBT cases, two-thirds of which included dense breast tissue. Insight DBT correctly localized 33% of cancers, indicating that it could improve DBT sensitivity if used concurrently in screening programs. The findings are a boost to Lunit’s U.S. commercialization efforts for Insight DBT, which got FDA clearance in November 2023.
- Rethinking AI’s Role with Radiologists: A new editorial in Radiology by Eric Topol, MD, and Pranav Rajpurkar, PhD, proposes a radical rethinking of the relationship between AI and radiologists. The prevailing view is of AI as an assistive technology in which radiologists work with AI algorithms. But a better relationship might be one in which humans and AI take on separate responsibilities in the diagnostic process. They propose three models for human/AI collaboration: AI-first sequential, doctor-first sequential, and case allocation.
- Good News for Physicians in 2026 MPFS: There’s actually good news in the proposed payment rates for the 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. Healthcare Administrative Partners broke down the changes in a new blog post, with one of the biggest being an increase in the conversion factor, up 3.83% to $33.5875 for qualified professionals and up 3.32% to $33.4209 for non-QPs. Still, the changes will lead to reimbursement decreases for diagnostic radiology (-2%) and nuclear medicine (-1%), with only interventional radiology getting an increase (2%).
- Fujifilm Launches Mobile X-Ray: On the eve of AHRA 2025, Fujifilm Healthcare Americas launched FDR Go iQ, an updated version of the company’s portable X-ray technology. To enhance the system, Fujifilm added touchscreen controls on the tube head to give technologists additional flexibility in setting imaging parameters. Other new features include in-bin detector charging, a built-in 3D camera to aid patient positioning, and an extra-large display. FDR Go iQ will also be the platform for AI applications Fujifilm plans to introduce soon.
- USPSTF On the Chopping Block? HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is reportedly mulling changes to the USPSTF that could include firing all 16 members of the advisory panel and replacing them with his own picks. USPSTF consists of clinicians who volunteer for the panel to provide guidance on preventive care issues like screening, and payors must cover USPSTF-recommended exams without requiring patient co-pays. Medical groups like the AMA have gone on record opposing any change to the current USPSTF panel.
- Lung Cancer Rises in Non-Smokers: An article in the New York Times highlights a perplexing trend: the rise of lung cancer in people who have never smoked. Globally, some 10% to 25% of lung cancers now occur in people who never smoked, a share that’s as high as 50% among some groups of Asian and Asian American women. The problem is pervasive enough that Taiwan has expanded screening eligibility to include people with at least one lung cancer risk factor – like family history – even if they don’t smoke.
- MRI Safety Manual for Techs Published: A new MRI safety manual targeted at technologists has been published. The Technologist’s MRI Safety Handbook was authored by MRI safety experts Tobias Gilk, Doug Boyd, and Pete Jablonka and is designed to provide a foundational approach to MRI safety for MRI technologists and early-career trainees. MRI safety has gained renewed attention after the death of Keith McAllister in a mobile MRI trailer earlier this month.
- Bunkerhill’s Aortic Quantification Clearance: Bunkerhill Health received FDA clearance for a Stanford University AI algorithm for quantifying aortic aneurysm on CT scans. The Abdominal Aortic Quantification algorithm is based on the Comp2Comp open-source image analysis platform from the lab of Akshay Chaudhari, PhD, and analyzes non-contrast CT scans to identify patients at risk of abdominal aortic aneurysm. Bunkerhill has integrated AAQ into its Carebricks platform, the second algorithm from Chaudhari’s lab they have begun marketing following a bone density model that was cleared in May.
- GE’s Ascension Agreement: GE HealthCare signed a strategic collaboration with Ascension Health, a Catholic healthcare system that serves 16 states and Washington, DC. GE will provide equipment from multiple modalities, including CT, MRI, nuclear medicine, and ultrasound, as well as from cardiovascular, women’s health, and point-of-care specialties.
- MAUI Imaging Raises $14M: Ultrasound technology developer MAUI Imaging raised $14M in a Series D round led by Acertara Acoustic Laboratories to fund development of its trauma imaging platform. MAUI emerged from stealth in 2024 with a $4M contract with the U.S. Department of Defense to adapt its computed echo tomography platform for trauma uses like intracranial imaging that are difficult to perform with traditional ultrasound. The new funds will support production, sales, and marketing of CET-based technology, and MAUI is currently delivering devices to initial users.
- Siemens Lands $50M Rad Therapy Contract: Siemens Healthineers landed a $50M contract to supply radiation therapy technology to Prisma Health of Greenville, South Carolina. The agreement expands on a 10-year agreement Siemens and Prisma signed in 2021, and includes the installation of an Ethos radiation therapy system from Siemens subsidiary Varian.
- FDA Clears Shimadzu Dedicated PET: The FDA has given marketing authorization to Shimadzu for a new dedicated PET scanner for head and breast exams. The company’s PositView scanner sports a smaller-diameter detector ring than whole-body PET scanners (28 vs. 80 cm), enabling it to acquire images closer to target anatomy with 2X better resolution. Shimadzu is targeting the U.S. due to recent availability of anti-amyloid drugs, which is spurring demand for brain PET exams to detect early signs of Alzheimer’s disease.
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Integrating AI into Clinical Practice
AI has the potential to revolutionize healthcare, but it requires a collaborative effort between clinicians and AI experts. In this micro-learning course from Calantic by Bayer, learn about the latest developments in healthcare AI.
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Discover the Story of Philips BlueSeal
When Philips designed their BlueSeal MRI, they had our planet in mind, considering energy efficiency. This led to potential energy savings of 40 megawatt-hours per year. Thanks to BlueSeal’s fully sealed magnet design, there is zero helium loss during the system’s lifetime.
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A New Solution for Chest AI
Gleamer’s ChestView AI solution is a computer-aided detection (CADe) model cleared by the FDA for simultaneously detecting multiple findings on chest X-ray. Discover how it enhances explainability and confidence compared to traditional triage-focused CADt solutions.
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- Advanced AI for Prostate MRI: QP-Prostate from Quibim is your advanced solution for detection and diagnosis of prostate cancer from MRI scans. Discover how it streamlines your workflow by detecting suspicious lesions, segmenting the prostate, and ensuring compliance with PI-RADS V2.1 guidelines. Learn more on this page.
- AI Echo for Cardiac Amyloidosis Now Available: Us2.ai’s AI Echo Copilot now includes a feature to assist in the detection of cardiac amyloidosis, a serious and frequently under-diagnosed condition. Discover more about this FDA-cleared and CE Marked capability.
- Rapid AI Deployment in Emergency Care: University Hospitals used CARPL to deploy AZmed’s fracture detection tool directly in the emergency department, reducing interpretation time by 30% without disrupting workflows. Learn how UH accelerated AI deployment.
- A New Benchmark for Tomo Imaging: There’s a new benchmark for digital breast tomosynthesis 3D images with MAMMOMAT B.brilliant from Siemens Healthineers. The system’s 50° wide-angle tomosynthesis helps you achieve excellent outcomes for your patients, radiologists, and breast care professionals.
- Ahead in the Cloud: What do healthcare providers need to consider as they adopt cloud-based solutions for medical imaging? Read this article written for Mach7 Technologies by Eliot Siegel, MD, to learn the important role cloud-based technologies are having in shaping the future of healthcare.
- Revolutionizing 3D Imaging: Learn how Visage Imaging is revolutionizing 3D imaging for radiology with its Visage Ease VP solution for the Apple Vision Pro headset in this video with Steve Deaton, director of customer experience.
- The Benefits of Operational AI: Explore the transformative potential of operational AI in healthcare in this on-demand webinar hosted by Blackford. Learn from the company’s partners how AI can help your practice operate more efficiently.
- AI Tools for Lung Cancer Screening: CT lung cancer screening is gaining momentum around the world. Learn about AI-based nodule detection tools that can improve the accuracy of low-dose CT scans in this video from Riverain Technologies.
- Unprecedented Insights Made Possible with AI: With the largest normative dataset of whole-body imaging in the world, Prenuvo’s AI researchers partner with the best academic minds to understand – like never before – what “normal” aging means. Learn about their work today.
- Planning for Data Migration Success: When UCSF Health’s enterprise imaging team needed to bring two new hospitals into their network, a new data migration project was born. In this August 13 webinar, learn how UCSF ensured a successful migration by working with Laitek, an Enlitic company.
- Optimize Radiology Workflows: Harness cloud and AI technology to help your radiology teams unlock insights, increase efficiencies, and improve patient care. Learn more about an integrated approach to AI in radiology in this e-book from Microsoft.
- The Leader in Molecular Imaging: United Imaging’s uMI portfolio of solutions is designed to help you lead the way in molecular imaging. From digital PET/CT systems designed to stand the test of time to the cutting-edge uEXPLORER total-body PET scanner, discover the uMI difference today.
- Reach New Heights with Enterprise Imaging Cloud: Embrace the potential of AGFA HealthCare’s Enterprise Imaging Cloud, a fully managed Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution that will transform the handling, storage, and accessibility of medical imaging data. Learn how EI Cloud can help you today.
- The Benefits of Structured Reporting: Kailo Medical hopes to revolutionize radiology with its structured reporting solutions. At SIIM 2025, we talked to Lauren Therriault and Denholm Rhys about the latest developments at the company and why structured reporting is a benefit to radiologists.
- Enterprise Imaging in Action: Find out how Presbyterian Healthcare increased patient engagement and met regulatory requirements by image-enabling their patient portal in this downloadable white paper from Merge.
- An Update from DeepHealth: DeepHealth closed its acquisition of iCAD, a major step in DeepHealth’s vision to build the future of AI-powered population health. In this Imaging Wire Show, we talked to company executives Kees Wesdorp and Niccolo Stefani about the acquisition and their strategic roadmap.
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