Community Outreach in Breast Imaging: What Radiologists Can Do to Close the Gap for the Uninsured Population.

After implementation of the Affordable Care Act in 2010, the uninsured population of the United States decreased significantly. As of 2022, there were approximately 26.4 million uninsured individuals in the United States. The lack of coverage and access to services disproportionally affect minority groups in the country, reflecting the influence of the social determinants of health in their uninsured status. Use of screening mammography, an effective modality that results in early detection of and decreased mortality from breast cancer, was delayed or postponed by women of all races due to lockdowns and fear during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, the return to mammographic screening has lagged among minorities, further increasing their disproportionate screening gap. Radiologists-and more specifically breast imagers-must recognize these issues, as people who are uninsured and part of minority groups are diagnosed with breast cancer at later stages and have higher mortality rates, less continuity of care, and overall lower survival. The purpose of this article is to familiarize radiologists with the uninsured population, explain how they are disproportionally affected by breast cancer, and propose strategies that breast imagers can pursue to improve screening access and decrease compliance gaps for this patient population. ©RSNA, 2023 See the invited commentary by Nguyen in this issue. Quiz questions for this article are available through the Online Learning Center.

Quantitative thoracic aorta calcification assessment by 18F-NaF PET/CT and its correlation with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disorders and increasing age.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to assess the correlation between age and cardiovascular risk factors with NaF-PET/CT imaging in the thoracic aorta (TA). METHODS: In this prospective study, 80 healthy controls and 44 patients with chest pain underwent NaF-PET/CT imaging, and three segments of the aorta (ascending, arch, and descending) were examined. Average SUVmax, SUVmean, and Alavi-Carlsen Score (ACS) were calculated in each segment and the entire vessel. The degree of NaF uptake in controls and patients and its correlation with age were determined. Multivariate linear regression and logistic regression models were employed to determine the predictabilities of Framingham Risk Score (FRS) and unfavorable cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk profile by these measurements. RESULTS: Average SUVmax, average SUVmean, and ACS were significantly higher in patients than in controls, and all correlated well with age. The correlation of average SUVmean with age was significant in both controls (r = 0.32, p = 0.04) and patients (r = 0.64, p < 0.001). ACS of the entire TA was a stronger predictor of FRS compared with average SUVmax and average SUVmean (adjusted R2 = 0.38, standardized ß = 0.58, p < 0.001). ACS was a significant predictor of unfavorable CVD risk profile as compared with other values (odds ratio = 1.006, 95% CI = 1.000-1.013, p = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Active calcification in TA correlates with age, and its correlation is higher among subjects with CVD risk factors. Global assessment (ACS) can predict unfavorable CVD risk profile. These data provide evidence for the potential role of NaF in assessing micro-calcification in arteries and its relations to cardiovascular events. KEY POINTS: • Global micro-calcification in the thoracic aorta as measured by NaF-PET/CT imaging correlates with increasing age. • The extent of the correlation was higher among patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. • These data provide evidence for the potential role of NaF in assessing active calcification in arteries and its relations to cardiovascular events.