Integrating cardiovascular imaging modalities revolutionises care offered patients

Sophia Antipolis, 4 April 2013. How the different advanced cardiovascular imaging technologies fit together in managing cardiac patients, will be one of the main themes explored at the International Conference on Nuclear Cardiology and Cardiac CT (ICNC 11).

“In some sessions rather than looking at different modalities we’re saying: ‘I have a patient with this problem, what imaging techniques should I use?’ Taking such a problem solving clinical approach places the emphasis firmly on identifying the best test to answer each specific question in the most efficient way, reflecting the way patients are treated in the real world,” said Frank Bengel, European organizing co-chairperson of ICNC 11.

The three day meeting, organized jointly by the ESC Working Group on Nuclear Cardiology and Cardiac Computed Tomography (ESC-WGNC); the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC); and the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM), will offer a truly international perspective on imaging. The biennial conference, which is predicted to be attended by over 1000 delegates from Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa and the Middle East, explores the latest directions in cardiac SPECT, PET, CT and hybrid technologies.

“Journalists coming to the meeting should achieve a really good understanding of where these imaging modalities currently stand in the management of cardiac patients, and plenty of good stories. The meeting represents the most contemporary discussion of how new imaging techniques are likely to fit together in future,” said Robert Gropler, US organizing co-chairperson of ICNC 11.

More than 250 original abstracts have been selected for presentation at the meeting, with newsworthy topics including reducing radiation exposure; using imaging to improve risk stratification in patients with diabetes and renal disease; new methods to measure vascular inflammation; new radiopharmaceuticals, and cost effectiveness studies. Reflecting the greater emphasis that is being placed on trainees at ICNC 11, almost one third of the selected abstracts have been submitted by young investigators.
The session: “Integrated cardiovascular imaging: revolutionizing the care of the cardiac patient”, right at the outset of the meeting, underlines the new paradigm where patients define the modalities used. Here eminent speakers include George Beller from Charlottesville, US, who will talk about the importance of multi-functional imaging; Markus Schwaiger from Munich, Germany, who will discuss the available technologies to perform multifunctional imaging; and Marcelo Di Carli from Boston, US, who will consider how we make the dream a reality.
Further examples of sessions taking an overview of different imaging modalities include:

• Imaging the patient with newly diagnosed heart failure following echo (6 May, 16:30-18:00, B08 Lecture room).
• Impact of imaging to guide the management of patients with stable coronary artery disease (7 May, 8:30-10:00, C01 Lecture room).
• Imaging infiltrative cardiomyopathies (7 May, 8:30-10:00, B08 Lecture room).
• Case scenario – use of imaging in the heart failure patient (7 May 11:00-12:3, C01 Lecture room).
• The latest clinical trials, some of which are ongoing and some completed, will be analyzed by experts during two sessions, “Trials and tribulations” I and II.
• Trials and tribulations I (6 May 14:00-15:30, C01 Lecture room) provides an analysis of the SPARC, EVINCI, STICH and J-ACCESS trials.
• Trials and tribulations II (7 May 14:00-15:30, CO1 Lecture room) provides an analysis of the CONFIRM registry, CORE 320 computed tomography perfusion study, The PROMISE study, and The ROMICAT 2 trial.

“These sessions put some of the most significant new trials into perspective and provide in- depth understanding of their strengths and weaknesses. How these studies may influence daily practice, will also be discussed,” said Michael Zellweger, scientific programme co - chair of ICNC 11.
Further sessions at ICNC 11 that could provide the basis for topical features include:

• Assessment of cardiac function in patients receiving tumour therapy: where are we headed? (8 May, 8:30-10:00, B08 Lecture room).
• How to reduce patient and staff radiation dose during nuclear cardiology and computed tomography procedures (8 May, 11:00-12:30, B06 Lecture room).
• Cardiac imaging in the time of limited economical resources (8 May, 14:00-15:30, C01 Lecture room).
• Advances in molecular imaging and cell biology (7 May 11:00-12:30, B08 Lecture room).

ENDS