- Center on Health Equity & Access
- Clinical
- Health Care Cost
- Health Care Delivery
- Insurance
- Policy
- Technology
- Value-Based Care
Lung Infections May Hamper Efficacy of FDG-PET
A new retrospective study published in JAMA identified that tuberculosis and certain fungal infections in the lungs could hamper the efficient detection of lung cancer by FDG-PET imaging.
A test used to diagnose lung cancer may not be as reliable in geographic regions where certain lung infections are more common, a new analysis says.
One noninvasive way of detecting lung cancer is through the use of what's known as functional imaging. For lung cancer, a specific type of functional imaging called FDG-PET is used, according to the study authors.
Cancerous tumors generally look different on FDG-PET images than do parts of the lungs that don't have cancer, according to background information in the study. But, it can be difficult to tell the difference between lung cancer and some lung infections, according to the study.
Lung conditions that might affect the accuracy of the functional imaging tests include tuberculosis and fungal infections, the study authors said.
Geographic regions in the new analysis where tuberculosis is common include China, Japan and South Africa. Areas where fungal lung infections occur frequently include the Mississippi, Missouri and Ohio river valley regions, as well as the U.S. Southwest, and Ontario, Canada, according to the analysis.
The analysis looked at the results of 70 studies.
Report on MedlinePlus: http://1.usa.gov/Yc90VQ
Exploring Racial, Ethnic Disparities in Cancer Care Prior Authorization Decisions
October 24th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the author of a study published in the October 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® that explored prior authorization decisions in cancer care by race and ethnicity for commercially insured patients.
Listen
Uniting to Support Patients With Cancer Beyond Treatment
November 17th 2024Kasey Bond, MPH, of Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone Health, speaks to why it’s vital to keep patients at the center of all strategic partnerships between academic institutions and community-based oncology practices.
Read More
Examining Low-Value Cancer Care Trends Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic
April 25th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the authors of a study published in the April 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® about their findings on the rates of low-value cancer care services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Listen
Bridging Cancer Care Gaps and Overcoming Medical Mistrust
November 13th 2024In this clip from our interview with Oscar B. Lahoud, MD, cochair of our Institute for Value-Based Medicine® evening hosted with NYU Langone Health, he addressed medical mistrust in underrepresented communities.
Read More
How English- and Spanish-Preferring Patients With Cancer Decide on Emergency Care
November 13th 2024Care delivery innovations to help patients with cancer avoid emergency department visits are underused. The authors interviewed English- and Spanish-preferring patients at 2 diverse health systems to understand why.
Read More
