Impact of Teleradiology on Oncological Interpretation of PET-CT Scans.

Background: Cancer is a prime cause of death globally and accounted for about 10 million deaths in 2020. The accurate determination of the extent of disease is crucial for treatment conceptualization and planning. The aim of the present study was to assess the role of teleradiology in the oncological interpretation of positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) scans.

Materials and methods: In this retrospective study, a total of 1137 PET-CT scans of a cohort of 1057 patients from hospitals in India, the US and Nepal were uploaded to the teleradiology cloud server and interpreted by board certified radiologists empanelled by a teleradiology service provider.

Results: The telehealth model proposed in the study was seen to provide timely and quality reporting of all PET- CT studies with a mean turnaround time of 20.06 h 95% confidence interval (19.35-20.78).

Conclusion: The early-stage diagnosis of cancer before it has progressed or metastasized is crucial for the immediate treatment conceptualization and plan and improves the prognosis for long-term survival of the patient. Teleradiology is an important tool in the field of oncology, providing rapid and accurate interpretation of imaging findings, essential for appropriate treatment planning.