A radiologist is responsible for deciphering the results of a digital imaging test. The services that radiology covers may include body imaging, breast care exams, cardiovascular imaging, emergency testing, nuclear medicine, pediatric radiology, ultrasound, fluroscopies, intervention radiology, neuro-radiology and musculoskeletal radiology. This special field of medicine encompasses all body parts and medical conditions but is marked by the special imaging training that is unique to this specialized field.
There are many types of imaging tests one might come across. One is body digital imaging, which involves everything from the neck down. Imaging technology includes CT scans, MRIs, x-rays, arthrographies and video imaging biopsies. A radiologist can look at the skeleton, the muscles and the blood vessels in the chest, abdomen and pelvis. Often suspected lung cancer patients will meet with a team of specialists to have these comprehensive tests performed to reach a diagnosis. Recent advances have made it possible for dermatologists to detect melanoma two years earlier than usual as well.
Women in particular have a wider range of radiology imaging services available to them. For instance, digital imaging is necessary for early breast cancer detection. Mammographies, ultrasounds, MRIs, galactographies and stereotactic breast biopsies are techniques used to detect tumors. Additionally, an MRI of the uterus, cervix or ovaries can often reveal abnormalities in those regions too. It’s a routine procedure for pregnant women to meet with a sonographer to see early images of their developing fetuses.
Digital imaging has been under fire in recent years, as legislators argue that way more scans are performed than are actually utilized by physicians. Some estimates suggest only 174/1,000 are needed in diagnosing and treating patients and that, more often than not, patients are sent into the CT or MRI machines just so greedy capitalists can make more money off Medicare. No doubt, scanning will be part of the national health care debate, but one can only hope that patient care is not compromised with the new reforms that are underway.
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