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Perils of Missed Mammography, Picking a PACS, and RSNA Venture Fund
October 6, 2025
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Together with
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“The selection of a PACS … is not just a technical decision but a strategic one that impacts every aspect of healthcare delivery within a radiology department.”
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Nowrangi R et al, in a JIIM article on selecting a new PACS.
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Yet another study is illustrating the perils of missing mammography screening. New research in JAMA Network Open found that women diagnosed with breast cancer who missed their previous screening exam had signs of delayed diagnosis and worse clinical outcomes.
Mammography screening is generally credited – along with improved treatments – with a steady decline in breast cancer death rates since the start of population-based breast screening.
- But most studies on mammography’s effectiveness tend to compare women who participated regularly in screening with those who never did.
That’s not really a realistic comparison these days, as mammography’s relatively high compliance rate means that most women are getting screened at least some of the time.
- But what happens if women miss a screening exam? In a BMJ study published last month, researchers found that women who missed their first screening exam had a 40% higher risk of breast cancer death.
In the current study, researchers took a slightly different tack, looking at 8.6k women in Sweden whose breast cancer was detected on screening exams starting in 2015.
- In all, 17% of women missed the screening exam immediately before their cancer diagnosis.
Compared to women who attended all screening rounds, those who missed their previous exam had higher adjusted odds ratio for…
- Larger tumors ≥ 20 mm (AOR = 1.55).
- Lymph node involvement (AOR = 1.28).
- Distant metastasis (AOR = 4.64).
- Worse breast cancer-specific survival (AOR = 1.33).
- Lower 20-year breast cancer-specific survival (86% vs. 89%).
What’s more, the program’s cancer detection rate per 1k screenings was sharply higher in the second screening round for women who missed the first round (7.35 vs. 5.59).
- This is most likely a sign that cancers that could have been detected in the first round instead were detected in the second round – another sign of delayed diagnosis.
Women who had missed their previous screening tended to be younger, unemployed, unmarried, and born outside of Sweden, and also had lower income.
- Women with these characteristics could be targeted for more intensive outreach, such as shorter invitation intervals or outreach after a missed appointment.
The Takeaway
The new study once again highlights the importance of regular mammography screening in detecting breast cancer. Even one missed exam can have serious clinical consequences – highlighting the importance of identifying and contacting women who might be more prone to missed appointments.
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Could AI Help People Live Longer?
The most powerful transformation in healthcare may come not after illness appears, but through what we do before disease ever takes hold. Read this article from DeepHealth on how AI can fundamentally change the way we approach health.
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New-Generation Platform for Managing Multi-Omics Data
QP-Insights from Quibim is a new-generation advanced platform for the management, storage, and analysis of large-scale multi-omics data and medical images for clinical studies and research projects. Learn more on this page.
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Singapore’s National AI Imaging Platform
AimSG, Singapore’s national radiology AI platform, is powered by CARPL to support third-party and in-house AI through a single, secure pipeline. See how CARPL powers healthcare across Singapore.
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- AI vs. Rads for DBT False Positives: ScreenPoint Medical’s Transpara mammography AI algorithm had a false-positive rate similar to radiologists (both 10%) when analyzing DBT screening exams, but there were subtle differences in how each flagged images in an AJR study of 3k women. AI false positives were associated with patient age (60 vs. 52 years), lower frequency of dense breasts (24% vs. 57%), and higher likelihood of family breast cancer history (13% vs. 4%). There were also differences in the types of findings AI flagged.
- Charity Settles Screening Fraud Case: A California charity settled accusations levied by the FTC and 19 states that it defrauded people who donated cars to raise money for breast screening programs. Kars-R-Us.com (not to be confused with Kars4Kids) allegedly raised over $46M in vehicle donations but only delivered $127k to provide mammography exams. Kars and several of its executives must pay $3.8M and refrain from future fundraising or marketing efforts.
- Questions about Rise in Early Cancers: Public health experts have raised concerns about a recent rise in cancer diagnoses in younger people. But a new article in JAMA Internal Medicine suggests the increase is “more apparent than real,” and could be due to “overdiagnosis,” or the detection of cancers that might never pose a health risk. It’s worth noting that several of the paper’s authors have raised concerns in the past about what they claim is overdiagnosis for cancer screening exams like mammography.
- 4DMedical Raises $15M: Lung imaging developer 4DMedical raised $15M by exercising options, bringing the company’s cash balance to $30M. The company plans to use the new funds to commercialize its recently cleared CT:VQ technology for performing ventilation-perfusion scans with non-contrast CT data. 4DMedical plans to conduct additional R&D and post-clearance studies for CT:VQ, as well as leverage its reseller agreement with Philips.
- How to Pick a PACS: Sure, PACS has been around a while, but imaging facilities could still use some help when deciding to replace their digital image management system. Fortunately a new article in JIIM offers some guidance, describing how one hospital approached the prospect of replacing its legacy PACS, which includes a digital archive first installed in 2000 with over 5M imaging exams. The case study is useful not only for providers but also for PACS vendors looking to understand how potential customers make purchase decisions.
- RSNA Launches Venture Fund: As venture capital funding in the AI sector declines, a new player with a familiar face is stepping in: RSNA. The radiology organization launched RSNA Ventures, an investment fund to advance “early-stage ideas, technologies and partnerships.” Funds will come from external investors, corporate partners, and RSNA’s own funds, and RSNA Ventures is looking for collaborations with startups, academic institutions, industry partners, and investors.
- GE Explores Options in China: Is GE HealthCare planning changes to its operations in China? Several news sources claim the company has retained strategic advisors to explore options that range from an outright sale to finding a partner for a strategic investment. Like other medical imaging OEMs, GE has moved much of its scanner manufacturing operations to China, but falling medical equipment sales in the country and the Trump Administration’s tariff war may have made the business less attractive.
- DeepHealth Nets Brain AI Clearance: DeepHealth received FDA 510(k) clearance for Brain Health, an AI-powered tool for detecting white matter hyperintensities on brain MRI scans. WMH lesions can be signs of current or future neuropathology like cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease, and earlier detection can give clinicians the opportunity to start treatment sooner. Brain Health automatically localizes WMH lesions and provides precise boundary segmentation.
- Siemens Recalls MRI Scanners: Siemens Healthineers recalled Magnetom MRI scanners due to an ice blockage that can form in the magnet venting system. In the event of a quench, helium might be unable to escape through venting paths, leading to a buildup in the helium containment system. This eventually could rupture the helium containment system and leak gas into the scanning room. The recall affects nine models of Magnetom scanners, and Siemens is contacting customers to inspect systems and correct the issue if necessary.
- FDA Clears Planmed Full-Body CBCT: Finnish medical device developer Planmed received FDA clearance for Planmed XFI, a full-body weight-bearing cone-beam CT scanner. The system can image patients in either standing or lying positions and is optimized for producing 3D images to detect subtle fractures that might be missed on radiography. The scanner represents an expansion into full-body radiology for Planmed, whose previous CBCT scanners focused on dental and head and neck imaging.
- FDA to Release Faster Response Letters: The FDA said it would begin releasing complete response letters immediately after they are issued to companies with drugs under agency review. The letters often list deficiencies with regulatory applications that the agency is reviewing, and their public release can have negative implications for publicly traded firms. The FDA published 89 previous unpublished letters from 2024 to present, each of which detailed “specific safety and effectiveness deficiencies” that prevented products from being approved.
- QT Imaging Raises $18M: Acoustic breast imaging developer QT Imaging raised $18M through a private placement with institutional and existing investors. QT plans to use the funds to repay $5M in debt, expand U.S. commercialization of its QTI Breast Acoustic CT scanner, and accelerate deployment of its QTI Cloud Platform. The company’s ultrasound-based technology acquires whole-breast 3D images and has FDA clearance as a supplementary modality for breast screening.
- GLP-1 Drugs Affect PET/CT Scans: EANM 2025 is underway this week in Barcelona, and in one highlighted presentation, U.K. researchers found that GLP-1 weight-loss drugs can affect PET/CT scans by altering glucose metabolism, increasing FDG uptake in skeletal muscle and myocardial and brown adipose tissue in ways that could be mistaken for malignancy or inflammatory disease. There are no current guidelines addressing the issue, but rather than tell patients to stop taking GLP-1s, researchers advised care teams to be aware of the phenomenon.
- Mediso Installs Triple-Head SPECT/CT: The triple-head gamma camera is back. Long after dual-head SPECT systems took over the nuclear medicine market, Hungarian medical device vendor Mediso has installed one of its triple-head AnyScan TRIO-TheraMAX SPECT/CT systems at Heidelberg University Hospital in Germany. The system is designed for theranostic imaging using radioisotopes emitting alpha and beta particles, which are harder to image than gamma-emitting tracers like technetium-99m, the workhorse radiotracer for most diagnostic nuclear medicine exams. Mediso claims TRIO-TheraMAX has 300% higher sensitivity than dual-detector SPECT systems.
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Remote vs. Tableside Fluoroscopy
Choosing the right fluoroscopy system is critical – download this e-book from Siemens Healthineers to discover key safety and efficiency factors that will help you decide between remote and tableside options.
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Point-of-Care AI-Aided Echo Screening
Point-of-care echocardiography screening assisted by AI improved access to quality cardiac care among American Indians. Learn more about the project in this case study from Us2.ai.
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- Opportunistic Detection of CAC and Pulmonary Nodules: Achieve a newfound certainty of search for thoracic CT when using ClearRead CT from Riverain Technologies. It’s a natural addition for opportunistic CAC scoring and nodule detection, or as part of a CT lung cancer screening program.
- Digital Radiography Designed for Freedom: United Imaging’s new uDR Aurora CX digital radiography system was designed to give you unprecedented freedom in imaging patients thanks to its new advances in computer vision, automation, and AI diagnostics.
- Explore the Future of Imaging: Explore the future of medical imaging in this October 9 webinar hosted by AGFA HealthCare. Learn how radiology has evolved from traditional PACS to intelligent AI-enabled platforms that integrate multiple -ologies and provide decision support and longitudinal insights.
- Radiology Case Report: A female in her 40s presented with right upper quadrant pain. Learn how contrast-enhanced MRI helped to provide a diagnosis.
- Innovative Mobile Radiography Solutions: The University of Vermont Medical Center prioritizes patients when it comes to advanced diagnostic imaging tools. Read how they rely on Philips for innovative mobile radiography solutions, prompt response times, and a community focus to deliver superior patient care.
- A New Resource for AI of MRI: Gleamer is expanding into AI of MRI with its acquisition of innovative AI developers Pixyl and Caerus Medical. Learn how the company is creating the most comprehensive AI portfolio for medical imaging.
- Gain Clarity in MRI at Speed: Discover how STAGE from SpinTech gives you better gray-white matter contrast in MRI and more efficient reads, with up to 30% faster scans on all 1.5T and 3T magnets.
- Streamlining Sonographer Workflows: Alaska Radiology Associates needed to streamline sonographer workflows, so they turned to SonoReview by Kailo Medical. Learn how the solution enhanced accuracy and saved valuable time for both radiologists and sonographers.
- Deploying an Enterprise Imaging Strategy: Read this case study from Merge to discover how Carle Health deployed an enterprise imaging strategy to integrate imaging data from eight hospitals.
- Unlock Next-Generation AI with Foundation Models: Learn about Microsoft’s new family of cutting-edge multimodal medical imaging foundation models designed for healthcare organizations to test, fine-tune, and build tailored AI solutions specific to their needs, while minimizing extensive compute and data requirements.
- AI Acceleration without the Hype: The Visage AI Accelerator program is an innovation magnet – an end-to-end AI solution that bridges research and diagnostic imaging on the same, unified platform. Learn how Visage 7 provides synergistic, smart workflows and flawless third-party AI integration.
- The Power of a Smooth Go-Live: Don’t gamble on your healthcare institution’s go-live: take control of your PACS migration with ENDEX from Enlitic. Discover how ENDEX uses AI to standardize, normalize, and cleanse your imaging metadata before migration
- Speak Less, Say More in Radiology Reporting: Discover how Rad AI’s radiology reporting software helps you speak less and say more by reducing dictation times up to 50% and words dictated up to 90%.
- Learn a New Subspecialty in 5 Minutes a Day: Become a faster, more confident radiologist with expert-led online video courses from Medality. Gain simulated practice with the largest collection of curated, scrollable DICOM cases available anywhere. Browse their library of radiology courses today.
- Experience the Power of Workflow Orchestration: Mach7’s UnityVue Workflow Orchestration Platform is a groundbreaking new solution that creates a unified view of patient imaging data, speeding patient care delivery, creating more efficient workflows, and reducing radiologist stress. Experience the power of UnityVue for yourself.
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