Radiology in public focus
Press releases were sent to the medical news media for the following articles appearing in recent issues of RSNA Journals.
Heart Health Resources for American Heart Month
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., but early detection and lifestyle changes can make a difference. In recognition of American Heart Month this February, RSNA is distributing public service announcements (PSAs) highlighting coronary artery disease and available screening methods.
To help your patients and their families learn more, share RadiologyInfo.org, the patient-centered website produced by RSNA, ACR and ASRT, which offers easy-to-read information about heart disease risks and the available screening methods, such as calcium scoring with cardiac CT.
Follow RadiologyInfo.org on Instagram and BlueSky for more patient-friendly imaging information.
RSNA Coverage Delivers Global Impact
Global media coverage helps amplify RSNA’s leadership in radiology, bringing groundbreaking research, clinical innovation and educational excellence to a worldwide audience.
In October, 1,743 RSNA-related news stories were tracked in the media. These stories had over 1.2 billion audience impressions.
Coverage included Yahoo! News, Becker’s Hospital Review, Crain’s Chicago Business, Applied Radiology, AuntMinnie.com, Healthcare Business News and Radiology Business.
AI Tool Identifies Women at High Risk of Interval Breast Cancer
An AI tool can help identify women at higher risk of developing interval breast cancers, according to a study published in Radiology.
Joshua W.D. Rothwell, an MBBS/PhD student at the University of Cambridge, U.K., and colleagues used negative screening mammograms from the U.K.’s triennial breast screening program.
They applied the deep learning-based AI algorithm Mirai, to 134,217 screening mammograms conducted between 2014 and 2016. The team sought to generate a three-year risk score based on mammographic features such as tumor characteristics and breast density.
The tool performed best at predicting interval cancers within one year of screening and outperformed conventional risk models, though performance was lower in women with extremely dense breasts.
“Identifying women at an increased risk of developing breast cancer is a complex, multifactorial problem,” said study co-author, Fiona J. Gilbert, MBChB, professor of radiology, Department of Radiology at the University of Cambridge. “The goal is to accurately identify the women most likely to have an interval cancer while minimizing the volume of supplemental imaging performed.”
Read the related RSNA News story.
Brain Activity Goes to Extremes in Soccer Fans
Using functional MRI (fMRI), researchers found that watching soccer matches involving a favorite team activates specific brain circuits linked to reward, emotional processing and cognitive control, according to a study published in Radiology.
Francisco Zamorano, PhD, a biologist working at Clínica Alemana de Santiago and associate professor at Facultad de Ciencias para el Cuidado de la Salud, Universidad San Sebastián, Santiago, Chile, and his fellow researchers examined 60 healthy male soccer fans of two historic rival teams.
Participants watched goal sequences involving their favorite team, a rival or a neutral team while undergoing fMRI. Levels of fanaticism were measured using a validated scale, assessing a sense of belonging and inclination to violence.
When a favorite team scored against a rival, brain reward circuits were more strongly activated than during non-rival goals, reinforcing in-group identity. When a rival scored, activity in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, which governs cognitive control, was suppressed, signaling reduced self-regulation—effects that were strongest in highly fanatic fans and occurred within seconds.
“Studying fanaticism matters because it reveals generalizable neural mechanisms that can scale from stadium passion to polarization, violence and population-level public health harm,” Dr. Zamorano said. “Most importantly, these very circuits are forged in early life: caregiving quality, stress exposure and social learning sculpt the valuation–control balance that later makes individuals vulnerable to fanatic appeals.
Read the related RSNA News story.
Radiologists Probe Aftermath of Mass Casualty Terror Attack
In a study in Radiology, researchers report how one hospital’s radiology department managed imaging operations during the mass casualty incident following the Oct. 7, 2023, attack in southern Israel, offering recommendations for future crisis preparedness.
Unlike typical mass casualty incidents, the attack generated a prolonged surge of severely injured patients admitted to the Soroka University Medical Center (SUMC), the region’s only level 1 trauma center.
The researchers, led by Gal Ben-Arie, MD, senior radiologist and head of Innovation & Artificial Intelligence in Imaging at SUMC and vice dean for Innovation Affairs, Faculty of Health Sciences at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Be’er Sheva, Israel, analyzed the first 24 hours after the attack. They captured timestamps for order to completion of imaging procedures and compared them with emergency department radiology data from the preceding year.
Rapid staff mobilization and flexible use of imaging resources proved critical. Radiologists were stationed at CT consoles, stable patients were redirected to shielded non-emergency scanners and AI tools provided real-time safety checks.
“Train for the unexpected—not just for the last disaster—and build systems that can adapt quickly as conditions evolve,” Dr. Ben-Arie said.
Read the related RSNA News story.