More and more health care providers we talk to believe we're closing in on a cure for cancer. If that does happen, the field will likely undergo radical changes and a reallocation of funds to combat other big health issues like heart disease and diabetes. In the meantime, medicine and technology will carry on the fight and organizations like RSNA will continue to lead the charge. In this issue, we provide our annual RSNA preview, but it's a little more special since the association is celebrating its 100th year. Our preview starts on page 59.

We also have an industry sector report on radiography (p. 42). The article offers insight and updates regarding some of the hot topics for the sector, namely, the move to DR for many as well as some of the financial challenges and opportunities providers are facing. Supplementing that information is an article based on information ASRT shared with us from their Radiologic Sciences Staffing and Workplace Survey (p. 38).

However, even the best technology isn't worth a penny if you can't find it. Hospitals get that, so more and more of them are investigating real-time location systems and radio frequency identification systems. Knowing where your equipment is when you need it, or being able to track inventory and even staff, gives hospitals the opportunity to provide better patient care. Check out our feature starting on page 32. Of course not all equipment needs to be tracked. To be honest, if staff doesn't know where an MR is, that hospital probably shouldn't be accepting patients. Joking aside, for installed equipment there is something that can easily be overlooked - chillers. Those big systems often installed on a hospital roof or in a parking lot, are crucial for the day-to-day operation of some of a hospital's most valuable equipment, yet those systems are often neglected and the result can be disastrous (p. 51).

Meanwhile, in this issue's installment of "The Future of" I had the opportunity to interview Dr. Atul Gawande. In his latest book, Being Mortal, a fundamental question Gawande addressed was, what makes a life worth living? Really, it's a question everyone should consider, but according to Gawande, it's a question that people don't think about and don't discuss with their families and loved ones nearly enough. The crux of the problem is that individuals with a terminal illness, or even just those who have become infirm with age, often undergo a battery of treatments to keep them alive, but the treatments may deliver diminishing returns. While their lives may be longer, the life they're left with may not be one they want to live. In many cases, forgoing treatment may shorten their lives, but may actually give them more "good" days overall. So understanding what a patient wants, or understanding what your family member wants from life, is of greater importance than just prolonging life.

Considering our mortality is never easy. But thinking about the important things in life and about the things you really don't want to live without, can provide a good starting point to open up a discussion.

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