⚡ Quick Summary
This review highlights the significant environmental challenges posed by medical imaging in cancer care, including high energy consumption and waste generation. It emphasizes the need for improved environmental sustainability in oncologic imaging while maintaining patient-relevant outcomes such as quality of life and overall survival.
🔍 Key Details
- 📊 Focus: Environmental sustainability in cancer imaging
- 🌱 Challenges: High energy use, reliance on single-use supplies, environmental pollutants
- ⚙️ Strategies: Optimize imaging schedules, select low-impact modalities, minimize waste
- 🤖 Technology: Artificial intelligence for personalized imaging schedules
- 🌍 Health equity: Mobile imaging programs to reduce emissions in underserved communities
🔑 Key Takeaways
- 🌿 Environmental factors contribute to rising cancer rates.
- ⚡ Climate change disrupts cancer care delivery.
- 💡 Optimizing imaging schedules can reduce low-value imaging.
- 🗑️ Minimizing waste is crucial for sustainability.
- 🔍 AI technology can enhance efficiency but must be balanced with energy use.
- 🚗 Mobile imaging reduces patient travel emissions.
- ⚖️ Health equity is promoted through integrated scheduling.
- 🔬 Future research should focus on optimizing imaging intervals and protocols.
📚 Background
The increasing global burden of cancer necessitates enhanced medical imaging capabilities, which are vital throughout the cancer care continuum. However, the environmental impact of these imaging practices cannot be overlooked. High energy consumption, reliance on disposable materials, and the generation of pollutants are significant challenges that need addressing. Moreover, environmental factors such as ultraviolet radiation and wildfire smoke are linked to rising cancer rates, underscoring the interconnectedness of patient health and planetary health.
🗒️ Study
This review explores the opportunities for improving the environmental sustainability of oncologic imaging. It emphasizes the importance of aligning sustainability efforts with patient-relevant outcomes, such as quality of life and overall survival. The authors propose several strategies, including optimizing imaging schedules, selecting modalities with lower environmental impact, and adopting energy-efficient practices.
📈 Results
The review identifies key strategies for enhancing sustainability in cancer imaging. These include optimizing imaging schedules to reduce unnecessary procedures, selecting imaging modalities that have a lower environmental footprint, and minimizing waste generation. The potential of artificial intelligence to personalize imaging schedules and improve efficiency is also highlighted, although its energy consumption must be carefully considered.
🌍 Impact and Implications
The findings of this review have significant implications for the future of cancer care. By adopting more sustainable imaging practices, healthcare providers can not only reduce their environmental impact but also improve patient outcomes. The integration of mobile imaging programs can help reduce travel-related emissions, particularly in underserved communities, thereby promoting health equity. This approach aligns with the growing recognition of the need for a holistic view of health that encompasses both individual and environmental well-being.
🔮 Conclusion
This review underscores the critical need for improved environmental sustainability in cancer imaging. By focusing on patient-relevant outcomes and adopting innovative strategies, the healthcare community can make strides toward a more sustainable future. The integration of artificial intelligence and mobile imaging programs presents exciting opportunities to enhance efficiency while promoting health equity. Continued research in this area is essential to ensure that the benefits of these technologies justify their energy use.
💬 Your comments
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Environmental Sustainability and Cancer Imaging.
Abstract
The rising global burden of cancer drives increased demands for medical imaging, which is essential throughout cancer care. However, delivering medical imaging presents significant environmental challenges including high energy use, reliance on single-use supplies, and the production of environmental pollutants. Environmental factors, such as ultraviolet radiation, wildfire smoke, and carcinogenic pollutants contribute to rising cancer rates, while extreme weather events driven by climate change disrupt cancer care delivery-highlighting the close connection between patient and planetary health. This review explores opportunities to improve the environmental sustainability of oncologic imaging, emphasizing the importance of patient-relevant outcomes-such as quality of life and overall survival-as a guiding principle in cancer care. Key strategies include optimizing imaging schedules to reduce low-value imaging, selecting modalities with lower environmental impact where clinically appropriate, minimizing waste streams, and adopting energy-efficient practices. Artificial intelligence offers the potential to personalize imaging schedules and improve efficiency, though its benefits must be weighed against energy use. Mobile imaging programs and integrated scheduling reduce patient travel-related emissions while promoting health equity, particularly in underserved communities. Future research should focus on optimizing imaging intervals to address patient-relevant outcomes better, expanding the use of abbreviated imaging protocols, and the judicious deployment of artificial intelligence, ensuring its benefits justify energy use.
Author: [‘Amin P’, ‘Malik A’, ‘Mcinnes MDF’, ‘Brown MJ’, ‘Szava-Kovats A’]
Journal: Can Assoc Radiol J
Citation: Amin P, et al. Environmental Sustainability and Cancer Imaging. Environmental Sustainability and Cancer Imaging. 2025; (unknown volume):8465371251323107. doi: 10.1177/08465371251323107