RSNA News - November 2004

Announcements

Membership Renewal Available Online

RSNA members should have received their 2005 dues notices. Because online access to Radiology and RadioGraphics is tied to membership status, payment not received by December 31, 2004, will trigger an automatic inactivation of online subscriptions.

Members can quickly and easily renew their membership online. Go to www.rsna.org/renew. Enter your member number (found on your RSNA News address label) and password, and then click on Renew Membership.

For more information or to renew by phone, contact the RSNA Membership and Subscriptions Department toll free at (877) RSNA-MEM or at (630) 571-7873, or send an e-mail to .

2005 Membership Dues	North America	Outside North America
Membership Dues (print and online journals)	$325	$415
Membership Dues (online journals only)	N/A	$325
Retired Members (online journals only)	Free	Free
(Print journals available at a reduced subscription rate)
Members-In-Training (online journals)	Free	Free
(reduced subscription rate for print journals)	$80	$190

Clinical Trials Methodology Workshop Planned for 2006

RSNA is planning a Clinical Trials Methodology Workshop in January 2006. Thirty imaging scientists are expected to be chosen to train in development of clinical trials protocol through workshop didactic sessions, one-on-one mentoring, discussion sessions, self-study and protocol synthesis.

A subcommittee of the RSNA Research Development Committee is handling the intensive course preparation, application and selection process. The subcommittee is headed by Daniel Sullivan, M.D., from the National Cancer Institute, and Constantine A. Gatsonis, Ph.D., from Brown University.

The RSNA course was inspired by the annual American Association for Cancer Research-American Society of Clinical Oncology (AACR-ASCO) workshop held in Vail, Colo. Four radiologists participated as students in the most recent workshop. Three radiologists were on the faculty.

Topics to be covered by the RSNA course include:

• Clinical study design
• Biostatistics
• Multi-institutional studies
• Human subjects investigation
• Ethics
• Regulatory processes

More detailed information will be included in future editions of RSNA News.

NIH Opens New Clinical Research Hospital

The National Institutes of Health has opened a new hospital dedicated solely to clinical research. The Mark O. Hatfield Clinical Research Center is an 870,000-square-foot facility that connects to the existing NIH Clinical Center.

In the 50 years that the NIH Clinical Center has been opened, more than 350,000 people have participated in clinical studies. Among the accomplishments:

• First cure of a solid tumor with chemotherapy
• First chemotherapy for childhood leukemia and Hodgkin's disease
• Discovery of evidence of a genetic component in schizophrenia
• First use of nitroglycerin for acute myocardial infarction
• First use of hydroxyurea to treat sickle cell anemia
• First gene therapy
• First successful replacement of a mitral valve
• First use of AZT to treat AIDS
• Development of screening tests for AIDS and hepatitis which reduced the transmission rate of transfusion-transmitted hepatitis from 30 percent to near zero

More than 1,000 clinical studies will be conducted in the new clinical research center. NIH says the new hospital will continue to set the pace for developing the most promising medical advances and providing a synthesis of medical knowledge to radically improve human health.

More information is available at www.cc.nih.gov/index.cgi.

Medicare to Cover Carotid Artery Stenting in FDA Study

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) says it will expand coverage of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) of the carotid artery with placement of an FDA-approved carotid stent. This will allow coverage for participants in a large FDA-mandated post-approval study for the newly approved device.

"We are increasing Medicare beneficiaries' access to innovative treatment to prevent strokes and supporting the development of better evidence on how our beneficiaries can best use this new treatment," said CMS Administrator Mark B. McClellan, M.D., Ph.D.

Previously, CMS covered only PTA of the carotid artery concurrent with stent placement in clinical trials being conducted prior to FDA approval.

CMS is also evaluating a separate request for a broader coverage expansion of PTA of the carotid artery concurrent with stent placement for patients at high risk for carotid endarterectomy. The CMS evidence-based review, which will involve public comment on a draft coverage decision, is scheduled to be completed in early 2005.

For more information, go to www.cms.hhs.gov/media/press/release.asp?Counter=1184.

Medicare Expands Coverage of PET Scans for Alzheimer's Disease

CMS has expanded Medicare coverage of positron emission tomography (PET) to include some Medicare beneficiaries with suspected Alzheimer's disease and to include other beneficiaries at risk for Alzheimer's disease who are enrolled in a large and easily accessible clinical trial.

For more information, go to ww.cms.hhs.gov/media/press/release.asp?Counter=1200.