Attendees have much to experience and take away from the Society of Breast Imaging (SBI) annual symposium, according to society president Mimi Newell, MD.
The symposium will be held April 11 to 14 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and will feature the latest research and insights from breast imaging experts and vendors.
“I think our attendees are going to learn a ton, but also have a lot of fun, which is important in this kind of situation,” Newell told AuntMinnie.com.
The annual meeting aims to strengthen knowledge and skills for breast imagers, including improving interpretative accuracy along imaging modalities, applying new technologies to clinical practice, making patient care more efficient, and improving practice wellness.
Attendees can also learn about best practices when thinking about implementing AI into their imaging departments.
“AI is everywhere and it’s going to be at SBI as well,” Newell said. “It certainly has a place in breast imaging, but we’re still trying to figure out exactly what that place is, how it will fit in our practices, how it can be best used, and whether any guardrails need to be enacted around its use.”
Among other events Newell highlighted include a “Shark Tank” event for competitors to pitch their ideas to experts, fireside chats and roundtable discussions for attendees to connect with each other, an inaugural trainee track that will focus on leadership, communication, and practical skills, competitive “Fast Five TED talks,” and a talent show.
Keynote presentations at the meeting will focus on risk assessment and personalized screening for breast cancer and bias in AI. Talks will also debate contrast-enhanced mammography versus abbreviated MRI and BI-RADS 6th Edition sessions, as well as breast imaging “competition” between the U.S. and Canada.
Along with new knowledge and memories, Newell said that takeaways from the symposium for attendees include reaffirming the importance of the work of breast imagers.
“We save lives,” she told AuntMinnie.com. “When we come to this meeting and learn more and improve our skills more, we become even better at saving lives.”
Newell also thanked Linda Moy, MD, and her planning committee for putting the symposium together. The full program can be found on the SBI’s website.
