根據一項最新研究發現：一種計算機輔助檢查（CAD）系統幫助放射科醫生能夠更加快速有效地確定核磁共振檢查發現的腫瘤位置和大小，這將能夠改善患者的治療。

這項研究是在西班牙Clinica Girona進行的，對比了CAD系統與標準MRI乳房成像軟件。36例確診為乳腺癌的患者在該項研究中，接受了使用標準軟件與CAD系統的MRI掃描檢查。

MRI掃描中使用的CAD系統，允許放射科醫生能夠更加有效地確定腫瘤體積。根據Joan C. Vilanova醫生的說法：體積大小與在顯微鏡下觀察到的更加接近，他是Clinica Girona核磁共振科主任，該項研究的首席作者。Vilanova醫生說：“在83％的病例中，CAD系統最終[后處理的]的影像質量比標準軟件的質量要好。”除此之外，放射科醫生只需要12分鐘來研究與解釋CAD系統的掃描結果，而標準MRI軟件影像則需要19分鐘。Vilanova醫生說，一次乳房MRI研究每次檢查獲得超過1000幀影像。

在10例患者中兩套系統都發現了額外的腫瘤，其中8例在進行MRI檢查之前原計劃進行乳房腫瘤切除術。然后他們的治療改為乳房切除術。Vilanova醫生解釋說：“如果沒有進行MRI檢查，癌癥組織將會被留在乳房之中。CAD系統幫助我們和臨床醫生在評判乳房MRI結果的時候更加自信。實際上，乳房MRI檢查在過去的9個月之中已經增加了50％。”

Dr. Vilanova presented the results of the study at the annual meeting of the American Roentgen Ray Society in May 2005 in New Orleans (LA, USA).
Vilanova醫生在2005年新奧爾良5月舉行的美國倫琴射線學會年會上，報道了他的研究結果。
 
CAD Makes Breast MRI More Effective
 
A computer-aided detection (CAD) system is helping radiologists to more rapidly and effectively determine the location and size of tumors discovered on breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data, which could change a patient’s treatment, according to a new study.

The study was performed at Clinica Girona (Spain) and compared the CAD system to breast imaging software that comes standard with MRI units. Thirty-six patients with diagnosed breast cancer in the study underwent an MRI scan using the standard software and the CAD system.

The CAD system used with the MRI scanning allowed radiologists to more effectively determine the size of the tumors. The size correlated more closely to what was seen under the microscope, according to Joan C. Vilanova, M.D., director of the department of magnetic resonance at Clinica Girona and lead author of the study. “The quality of the final [postprocessed] CAD system images was better than the standard software images in 83% of the cases,” said Dr. Vilanova. In addition, it took radiologists an average of 12 minutes to study and interpret the CAD system images compared to 19 minutes for the standard MRI software images. A breast MRI study generates more than 1,000 images per examination, according to Dr. Vilanova.

Both systems found additional tumors in 10 patients, eight of whom were scheduled to under a lumpectomy before the MRI scan was performed. Their treatment was then changed to a mastectomy. “Cancerous lesions would have been left within the breast if breast MRI had not been performed,” Dr. Vilanova said. “The CAD system has allowed us and our clinicians to have more confidence in our ability to evaluate breast MRI. In fact, the number of breast MRI examinations has increased by 50% in the last nine months.”

Dr. Vilanova presented the results of the study at the annual meeting of the American Roentgen Ray Society in May 2005 in New Orleans (LA, USA).