Molecular imaging has been redefined. By expanding its definition to apply to most diagnostic and therapeutic procedures formerly associated with nuclear medicine, diagnostic imaging’s leaders hope to make molecular imaging relevant and accessible to mainstream radiology.
MI’s journey from bench to bedside is not going to be easy. Researchers need more time to guide promising applications from preclinical animal testing into practice. Yet progress can be seen on several fronts. In particular, the National Oncology PET Registry, implemented in mid-2006, has greatly expanded Medicare coverage for FDG-PET and raised the visibility of PET imaging for cancer staging and the monitoring of cancer therapies.
The joint conference of the Academy of Molecular Imaging and the Society for Molecular Imaging last September set a precedent for cooperation among potentially competing organizations. The two societies share an interest in advancing MI science, but their histories are vastly different. AMI serves as an advocate and clearinghouse of information about PET reimbursement and practice strategies, while SMI is more closely associated with MI’s scientific advancement.
The first joint meeting was successful enough to plan a second joint conference—this time also involving the European Society of Molecular Imaging—that will take place in Nice, France, in September.
Scientific presentations at the joint meeting exemplified MI’s expanding scope. Previous research was mainly concerned with cancer, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, cell tracking, and image-guided therapy. Research presented at the 2007 conference also explored potential MI applications for arthritis, pneumonia, and parasitic disease (malaria).
The National Cancer Institute is a primary source of molecular imaging research funding. The NCI devoted at least one-third of its $180 million cancer imaging budget to MI in 2007, said Dr. James L. Tatum, acting associate director of the NCI cancer imaging program. The number of funded grants rose slightly in 2007, but total funding for MI was unchanged from 2006.
The NCI assists eight In-Vivo Cancer Molecular Imaging Centers as part of a program established in 1999. Supported by NCI P50 grants of up to $2 million annually, the ICMICs have become powerful engines of MI scientific discovery and leadership.
