(DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING) – Screening for COVID-19 exposure, particularly for patients with cancer on active treatment, has become a priority during the pandemic.
Computed tomography (CT)-based image guidance during radiation therapy could be a method of identifying patients who require a workup for COVID19, according to the findings from a study of a cohort of patients with lung cancer, published in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology.
“These findings are extremely important,” lead study author Graham Warren, MD, PhD, professor of diagnostic imaging at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). “If a doctor notices something on the patient’s scan, they can have them tested for COVID-19 or ask them how they are doing. This gives us the opportunity to identify patients who may have a higher risk of having COVID-19, whether they are symptomatic or not.”
Screening for COVID-19 exposure, particularly for patients with cancer on active treatment, has become a priority during the pandemic. Following 2 case reports of imaging findings during routine CT-based image-guided radiation therapy scans, investigators set out to determine whether there is a correlation between the onset of new pulmonary findings such as airspace opacities on CT found during radiation therapy in patients diagnosed with COVID-19. To read more, please visit Diagnostic Imaging.
