“I think it’s very
valuable to expose the
world to RSNA”
The fact that the RSNA has a global perspective is just one of the reasons Huong Le-Petross, M.D., became a Presidents Circle donor to the R&E Foundation.
“We need a global vision in today’s society and I like the leadership of RSNA and the direction they are taking the organization,” said Dr. Le-Petross, associate professor of radiology at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
As a member of the Presidents Circle, Dr. Le-Petross is one of the hundreds of generous supporters who donate $1,500 or more annually to fund radiologic education and research.
“I’m an advocate of good, quality research,” said Dr. Le-Petross, a specialist in breast imaging who has authored nearly 50 peer-reviewed articles, abstracts and book chapters.
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Last summer, Dr. Le-Petross furthered the global reach of RSNA by participating in the International Visiting Professor (IVP) Program. She and Eric J. Stern, M.D., of the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle, traveled to Vietnam’s Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to lecture and provide one-on-one assistance to radiologists and staff.
“The IVP is a wonderful program for the countries we visit and for us,” said Dr. Le-Petross. She presented twelve lectures over ten days on mammography, ultrasound for cancer staging, breast MR imaging and the role of multi-modality imaging in metastatic breast cancer.
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Despite the availability of state-of-the-art imaging equipment, Dr. Le-Petross said the Vietnamese were just beginning to embrace breast imaging and interventional techniques.
“In the North, they did not have biopsy devices and were not performing image-guided preoperative needle localization,” she said. “The educators told us that without being trained themselves, they aren’t able to teach the next generation.”
As many as 165 Vietnamese radiologists, residents, technologists and hospital administrators attended each of the lectures, and hospital administrators expressed strong interest in continued visits from North American physicians.
“I think it’s very valuable to expose the world to RSNA,” said Dr. Le-Petross, whose visit marked the first opportunity for many in the audience to connect with radiologists from top North American medical institutions. “During the question and answer sessions, everyone wanted to know how to become a member.”
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