Research

Washington Radiology physicians are trained scientists who believe in extending their practice to reach the frontiers of medicine through research. WRA has participated in numerous research studies advancing many technologies in diagnostic imaging.

Some recent studies include:

• The American College of Radiology Imaging Network (ACRIN) Digital Mammographic Imaging Screening Trial (DMIST) funded by the National Cancer Institute. The trial included researchers at 33 sites across the United States and Canada and compared the accuracy of breast cancer detection with conventional film-based mammography versus digital mammography. Director of Mammography, Julianne S. Greenberg, MD, was the principal investigator for the trial at WRA. The results of this study were published in The New England Journal of Medicine on September 16, 2005.
  
  
• WRA’s assessment of Median Technologies’ LMS-Lung/CAD. Used abroad, but not yet approved by the FDA, WRA radiologists are testing this Computer Aided Detection (CAD) technology for its efficacy in identifying lung lesions during chest CT applications. Dr. Ramin Abrahim is conducting the assessment.
  
  
• A comparison study of 40 patients who first underwent CT Colonography (CT Virtual Colonoscopy) and then on the same day underwent traditional optical colonoscopy. This study showed the sensitivity and specificity of CT Virtual Colonoscopy were over 90% for significant polyps. Dr. Mark Klein was the principal investigator
  
  
• Brain MRI studies for Alzheimer’s research conducted by private research organizations.