New Guideline Improves Patient Access to Advanced Ultrasound Assessment of Liver Diseases and Transplant Options, Experts Say

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Patients with liver diseases will have expanded access to advanced ultrasound imaging and transplant options, thanks to new policy allowing doctors to use contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) to help assess certain liver cancers and determine whether a liver is healthy enough for transplantation, according to experts affiliated with the International Contrast Ultrasound Society (ICUS).

“This eliminates a significant roadblock to the appropriate use of CEUS at a time when patient lives are at stake,” said Dr. Yuko Kono, a transplant hepatologist and CEUS expert at the University of California San Diego and a member of the ICUS Board of Directors.

ICUS was an early and strong supporter of the inclusion of CEUS as an approved imaging option for evaluation of a prevalent form of liver cancer known as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) under guidelines and policies established by the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN).

While OPTN plays a crucial role in the evaluation and allocation of livers for transplantation, its guidelines and policies often have a broader impact on the clinical practice of hepatology and the use of CEUS to evaluate liver disease, according to Dr. Andrej Lyshchik, a professor of radiology at Thomas Jefferson University and CEUS expert. Dr. Lyshchik is also a member of the ICUS Board of Directors.

“We cannot underestimate the clinical importance of having CEUS officially included in our imaging tool boxes,” said Dr. Lyshchik.

ICUS called the new OPTN policy “a critical step toward modernizing the diagnostic framework for HCC.”

ICUS also said that the policy change will “promote consistency, reduce interpretation errors, and enhance communication with referring physicians” by aligning OPTN imaging classification criteria with a standardized reporting and data collection system known as LI-RADS^®.

CEUS is a safe, low-cost diagnostic imaging tool that is routinely used worldwide to assess abdominal and pelvic organs and tumors, heart and vascular disease, chronic gastro-intestinal diseases and other serious medical conditions, and to monitor therapy.

“CEUS solves many clinical problems efficiently, without exposure to ionizing radiation, and with sensitivity and specificity comparable to and sometimes better than contrast-enhanced CT and MRI,” said Dr. Stephanie Wilson, a clinical professor of radiology and gastroenterology at the University of Calgary and Co-President of ICUS.

Because ultrasound systems are readily available in many medical centers throughout the world and provide reliable diagnostic information in real time, CEUS often streamlines clinical workflows and reduces delays in diagnosis and treatment, she added.

Three ultrasound contrast agents are currently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration: Definity (Lantheus); Lumason (Bracco Imaging) and Optison (GE Healthcare).

ABOUT ICUS:

The International Contrast Ultrasound Society (ICUS) is a nonprofit medical society dedicated to advancing the safe and medically appropriate use of contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) to improve patient care globally. Membership in ICUS is free of charge and there is no fee for ICUS educational programs, CME credits, newsletters or other resources.

To join ICUS and learn more about CEUS, visit www.icus-society.org and download ICUS CONNECT, the free ICUS mobile app.