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Introduction: To investigate the performance of combined (18)F-FDG-PET/CT as a predictor of the WHO-classification based malignancy grade in thymic epithelial tumors., Methods: From 05/06 to 02/12, the data of 47 patients with thymic epithelial tumors assessed by (18)F-FDG-PET/CT before being surgically treated were collected in 3 centers and retrospectively reviewed for the purposes of this study. The SUVmax and the SUVmax/T index (the ratio tumor-SUVmax to tumor-size) have been matched with specific subgroups of the WHO-classification: low-risk thymomas (types A-AB-B1), high-risk thymomas (types B2-B3) and thymic carcinomas (type C)., Results: There were 22 men and 25 women (age range: 31-84 yrs). Mean tumor size was 44.7 ± 19.0 mm. The WHO-classification was: type-A #2, type-AB #11, type-B1 #9, type-B2 #9, type-B3 #9 and type-C #7. The SUVmax and the SUVmax/T were found to be predictive factors useful to distinguish thymomas from thymic carcinomas (SUVmax: area under ROC-curve: 0.955, p = 0.0045; SUVmax/T-size: area under ROC-curve: 0.927, p = 0.0022). Moreover, both parameters were found to be correlated with the WHO malignancy grade (low-risk thymomas; high-risk thymomas; thymic carcinoma), Spearman correlation coefficients being 0.56 (p < 0.0001) and 0.76 (p < 0.0001), respectively for the SUVmax and for the SUVmax/T index. In addition, the SUVmax is also significantly correlated with Masaoka stage (Spearman correlation coefficient: 0.30, p = 0.0436) CONCLUSIONS: A significant relationship was observed between (18)F-FDG-PET/CT findings and histologic WHO-classification for this cohort of thymic epithelial tumors. Thus, on the basis of these evidences, we infer that (18)F-FDG-PET/CT may be useful to predict histology and the WHO classes of risk., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Despite the high survival rates reported for screening-detected cases, the potential of screening of high-risk subjects for reducing lung cancer mortality is still unproven. We herewith present the baseline results of a randomized trial comparing screening for lung cancer with annual spiral computed tomography (CT) versus a yearly clinical review., Methods: Male subjects, 60-74 years old, and smokers of 20+ pack-years were enrolled. All participants received a baseline medical examination, chest X-rays (CXR) and sputum cytology upon accrual. Subjects randomized in the spiral CT group received a spiral CT scan at baseline, then yearly for the following 4 years. For controls, a yearly clinical examination was scheduled for the following 4 years., Results: 2472 subjects were randomized (1276 spiral CT arm, 1196 controls). Age, smoking exposure and co-morbid conditions were similar in the two groups. In the spiral CT group, 28 lung cancers were detected, 13 of which were visible in the baseline chest X-rays (overall prevalence 2.2%). Sixteen out of 28 tumours (57%) were stage I, and 19 (68%) were resectable. In the control group, eight cases were detected by the baseline chest X-rays (prevalence rate 0.67%), four (50%) were stage I, and six (75%) were resectable., Conclusions: Baseline lung cancer detection rate in the spiral CT arm was higher than in most published studies. The stage I detection rate was increased four-fold by spiral CT versus chest X-rays. However, more tumours in an advanced stage were also detected by CT. The high resection rate of screening-detected patients suggests a possible increase in cure rate. However, longer follow-up is required for definitive conclusions. This trial has been registered at www.Clinicaltrials.gov, registration No. NCT00420862.