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Objectives: To study the ratio between the CT texture of colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) and the surrounding liver parenchyma and assess the potential of various texture measures and ratios as predictive/prognostic imaging markers.Materials: Seventy patients with colorectal cancer and synchronous CRLM were included. All visible metastases, as well as the whole-volume of the surrounding liver, were separately delineated on the portal venous phase primary staging CT. Texture features entropy (E) and uniformity (U) were extracted and ratios between the texture features (T) of the metastases and background liver (Tmetastases/Tliver) calculated. Texture features were compared with clinical outcome parameters: [1] extent of disease (i.e. number of metastases), [2] response to chemotherapy (in 56/70 patients who underwent chemotherapy and CT for response evaluation), and [3] overall survival.Results: The Emetastases/Eliver ratio was lower in patients with limited disease (P = 0.02) and associated with overall survival, albeit not statistically significant when tested in multivariable analyses (HR 1.90; P = 0.07); Umetastases/Uliver was higher in patients with limited disease (P = 0.02). Emetastases showed a trend towards a higher value in patients that responded well to chemotherapy (P = 0.08).Conclusion: The ratio between the texture of liver metastases and the surrounding liver appears to reflect relevant changes in tissue microarchitecture and may be of value to assess the extent of disease and help predict overall survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Imaging biomarkers assessed with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and/or positron emission tomography (PET) enable non-invasive tumor characterization in cervix cancer patients. We investigated the spatio-temporal stability of hypoxia, perfusion, and the cell density of tumors over time by repetitive imaging prior to, during, and after radio-chemotherapy.Procedures: Thirteen patients were included in this prospective study. The imaging protocol included the following: [18F]fluoromisonidazole ([18F]FMISO)-PET/x-ray computed tomography (CT) and multiparametric (mp)-MRI at four time-points (TP): baseline (BL); and weeks 2 (TP1), 5 (TP2), and 19 after treatment start (follow-up FU). Complete datasets for six patients could be assessed for tumor volume, enhancement kinetics, diffusivity, and [18F]FMISO-avidity (P1-P6). In addition, two patients completed all PET/CT examinations (P7-P8) but not all MR scans; however, one of them had no hypoxia (P8). Descriptive statistics, correlations, and voxel-by-voxel analysis were performed. For various, independent reasons, five patients could not complete the study according to the protocol with all imaging sequences.Results: Median tumor ADCs (in ×10-3 mm2/s) were 0.99 ± 0.10 at BL, 1.20 ± 0.12 at TP1, 1.33 ± 0.14 at TP2, and 1.38 ± 0.21 at FU. The median TBRpeak (tumor-to-background) was 2.7 ± 0.8 at BL, 1.6 ± 0.2 at TP1, 1.8 ± 0.3 at TP2, and 1.7 ± 0.3 at FU. The voxel-by-voxel analysis of the [18F]FMISO uptake at BL and TP1 showed no correlation. Between TP2 and TP1 and FU and TP2, weak correlations were found for two patients.Conclusions: Longitudinal mp-MR and PET imaging enables the in vivo tumor characterization over time. While perfusion and cell density decreased, there was a non-uniform change of hypoxia observed during radiotherapy. To assess the potential impact with regard to more personalized treatment approaches, hypoxia imaging-based dose painting for cervix cancer requires further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Osseous metastases often undergo an osteoblastic healing response following chemotherapy. The purpose of our study was to demonstrate the quantitative CT changes in attenuation of osseous metastases before and after chemotherapy.Materials and Methods: Our study was IRB approved and HIPAA compliant. Our cohort consisted of 86 consecutive cancer patients with contrast-enhanced CTs before and 14 ± 2 (12-25) months after initiation of chemotherapy (60 ± 11 years, 36 males, 50 females). The average and maximum metastasis attenuations were measured in Hounsfield units (HU) by two readers. Treatment effects were assessed using paired t-tests and Fisher exact tests. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were calculated. Patient records were reviewed to determine the patient's clinical status (worse, unchanged, or improved) at the time of follow-up CT.Results: The distribution of lesion types was as follows: lytic (30/86, 35%), blastic (43/86, 50%), and mixed lytic-blastic (13/86, 15%). There was a significant increase in average and maximum CT attenuation of metastases following chemotherapy for all patients, which remained statistically significant when stratified by lesion type, clinical status (worsening or improving/stable), cancer type (breast, lung), and radiation therapy (P < 0.05). In a subgroup of patients whose osseous metastases decreased in average attenuation (14/86, 16%), more patients had a worse clinical status (11/14, 79%) (P = 0.02). ICC was almost perfect for average attenuation and substantial for maximum attenuation.Conclusion: Quantitative assessment of osseous metastatic disease using CT attenuation measurements demonstrated a statistically significant increase in attenuation more than 12 months after initiation of chemotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The objective of this retrospective work was to evaluate the prognostic value on histological response and survival of quantitative indices derived from FDG-PET performed before and after chemotherapy (CHT), in a homogeneous pediatric Ewing sarcoma (EWS) and Osteosarcoma (OST) population. Methods: Thirty-one patients with EWS and 31 with OST were included. All patients were treated with neoadjuvant CHT, and underwent surgery for local control. All patients had FDG-PET at diagnosis and after CHT, prior to surgery. Several parameters were evaluated: SUVmax, SUVpeak, SUVmean, metabolic tumor volume, total lesion glycolysis, 7 textural features and 3 shape features (SF). The segmentation was performed using an adaptive approach. Results were compared to histopathological regression of the resected tumor and to clinical follow-up for survival evaluation. Results: For EWS, univariate analysis did not highlight any prognostic value on histological response, or survival regardless of all the considered metrics. For OST, only one of the SF, namely elongation, was significantly associated with PFS and OS on both univariate and multivariate analysis (PFS: p = 0.019, HR = 5.583; OS: p = 0.0062, HR = 7.113). Conclusion: Only elongation determined on initial FDG-PET has a potential interest as a prognostic factor of PFS and OS in pediatric OST patients. Unlike recent studies of the literature realized in adult population, all the metrics reveal limited additional prognostic value in pediatric EWS patients. This seems to reinforce the question of whether children experience different subtypes of the same pathologies than older patients, with different outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To determine whether baseline CT texture analysis of hepatic metastasis from colorectal cancer (CRC) is predictive of therapeutic response after cytotoxic chemotherapy.Materials and Methods: 235 patients with liver metastasis from CRC who underwent CT and cytotoxic chemotherapy using FOLFOX and FOLFIRI were divided into derivation cohort (n=145) and validation cohort (n=90). The CT texture of the hepatic metastasis was quantified using baseline CT. We analyzed the independent predictor for the response from derivation cohort and validated it using validation cohort. We also compared texture features between included four CT scanners.Results: 89 responding and 146 non-responding patients were evaluated. In the derivation cohort, lower skewness (OR, 6.739) in 2D, higher mean attenuation (OR, 2.587), and narrower standard deviation (SD) (OR, 3.163) in 3D were independently associated with response to chemotherapy. However, only lower skewness (P=0.213) on 2D and narrower SD on 3D analysis (P=0.097) did not show a significant difference on either CT scanner. When applied to the validation set, the lower skewness on 2D (AUC=0.797) and narrower SD on 3D (AUC=0.785) showed good performance.Conclusion: CT texture analysis is useful for prediction of therapeutic response after cytotoxic chemotherapy in patients with liver metastasis from colorectal cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a case of bladder alveolar soft part sarcoma in an 18-year-old Thai male patient who had been treated with testicular radiation and systemic chemotherapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia with testicular relapse. He presented with recurrent dysuria and gross hematuria. Cystoscopy revealed a 2-centimeter irregular sessile mass at the bladder base adjacent to left ureteral orifice. Transurethral resection of the tumor was performed. The histopathological diagnosis was alveolar soft part sarcoma. Chest and abdominal computed tomography showed no evidence of metastasis. He was treated with partial cystectomy and left ureteral reimplantation with negative surgical margin. No evidence of recurrence was found during a 28-month follow-up period with surveillance cystoscopy and computed tomography of the chest and abdomen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is the state-of-the-art treatment in advanced breast cancer. A correct visualization of the post-therapeutic tumor size is of high prognostic relevance. X-ray phase-contrast computed tomography (PC-CT) has been shown to provide improved soft-tissue contrast at a resolution formerly restricted to histopathology, at low doses. This study aimed at assessing ex-vivo the potential use of PC-CT for visualizing the effects of neoadjuvant chemotherapy on breast carcinoma. Materials and Methods: The analysis was performed on two ex-vivo formalin-fixed mastectomy samples containing an invasive carcinoma removed from two patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Images were matched with corresponding histological slices. The visibility of typical post-therapeutic tissue changes was assessed and compared to results obtained with conventional clinical imaging modalities. Results: PC-CT depicted the different tissue types with an excellent correlation to histopathology. Post-therapeutic tissue changes were correctly visualized and the residual tumor mass could be detected. PC-CT outperformed clinical imaging modalities in the detection of chemotherapy-induced tissue alterations including post-therapeutic tumor size. Conclusions: PC-CT might become a unique diagnostic tool in the prediction of tumor response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. PC-CT might be used to assist during histopathological diagnosis, offering a high-resolution and high-contrast virtual histological tool for the accurate delineation of tumor boundaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses a study performed with an aim to determine the usefulness of diffusion-weighted MRI in pre-treatment assessment and evaluation of chemotherapy response of mediastinal lesions of malignant lymphoma by analysing signal intensity, accumulation of contrast agent and changes in values of ADC. Comparing the results of PET/CT and DW-MRI was another goal of this study. We reviewed data of 21 patients that underwent treatment during years 2013-2014 at the Hospital of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Kaunas Clinics and had DW-MRI and PET/CT scans carried out. For all patients the diagnosis of malignant lymphoma in mediastinal lymph nodes was confirmed histological. Whether the lymphoma was in active state was determined by PET/CT or histological data. In MRI scans, signal intensity and ADC values were evaluated, while in PET/CT maximum and average standardized uptake values were assessed. Patients underwent chemotherapy and follow up scans were performed to evaluate response. In total, 25 PET/CT and 50 DW-MRI scans were analysed. We found statistically significant difference of values of ADC in active and inactive states of malignant lymphoma of mediastinal lymph nodes. In follow up tests, performed during 2 years after treatment, a tendency of decreasing ADC values over time was seen when chemotherapy was successful and no relapse was observed. Among the reviewed cases, DW-MRI had slightly worse specificity than PET/CT in differentiation of malignant and benign changes in lymph nodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ewing sarcoma (ES) is a member of small round cell tumors of which contains Wilms' tumor, neuroblastoma, rhabdomyosarcoma and lymphoblastic lymphoma. ES occurs most commonly in the bone but infrequently occurs in the soft tissues without involvement of the bones. Primary involvement of the liver is even rarer. We report the case of 24-year-old female patient with abdominal pain. Abdominal computed tomography scan showed hepatic large cystic lesion. Liver biopsy showed tumoral cells with small narrow stoplasmic and hyper chromatic nucleus evaluated as small round cell tumor. Immunohistochemical study of the lesion revealed CD99 and bcl-2 positive, cytokeratin, LCA, CD138, chromogranin, synaptophysin, myoD1, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase and myoglobin negative the diagnosis primary hepatic ES. A research for any other tumor involvement by using positron emission tomography yielded only hepatic involvement revealed. The patient treated with vincristine-cyclophosphamide- adriamycin and ifosfamide-etoposide alternately chemotherapy then hepatic tumor regressed. Patient operated on hepatic wedge resection. She has continued on chemotherapy and she has been doing well at the sixth month of diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the axillary lymph nodes on pretreatment diagnostic computed tomography (CT) of the chest to determine their position relative to the anatomic axillary borders as defined by the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) breast cancer atlas for radiation therapy planning.Methods and Materials: Pretreatment diagnostic CT chest scans available for 30 breast cancer patients with clinically involved lymph nodes were fused with simulation CT. Contouring of axillary levels I, II, and III according to the RTOG guidelines was performed. Measurements were made from the area of distal tumor to the anatomic borders in 6 dimensions for each level.Results: Of the 30 patients, 100%, 93%, and 37% had clinical involvement of levels I, II, and III, respectively. The mean number of lymph nodes dissected was 13.6. The mean size of the largest lymph node was 2.4 cm. Extracapsular extension was seen in 23% of patients. In 97% of patients, an aspect of the involved lymph node lay outside of the anatomic border of a level. In 80% and 83% of patients, tumor extension was seen outside the cranial (1.78 ± 1.0 cm; range, 0.28-3.58 cm) and anterior (1.27 ± 0.92 cm; range, 0.24-3.58 cm) borders of level I, respectively. In 80% of patients, tumor extension was seen outside the caudal border of level II (1.36 ± 1.0 cm, range, 0.27-3.86 cm), and 0% to 33% of patients had tumor extension outside the remaining borders of all levels.Conclusions: To cover 95% of lymph nodes at the cranial and anterior borders of level I, an additional clinical target volume margin of 3.78 cm and 3.11 cm, respectively, is necessary. The RTOG guidelines may be insufficient for coverage of axillary disease in patients with clinical nodal involvement who are undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy, incomplete axillary dissection, or treatment with intensity modulated radiation therapy. In patients with pretreatment diagnostic CT chest scans, fusion with simulation CT should be considered for tumor delineation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Aim To assess the interest of 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography ( 18 F-FDG PET/CT) to evaluate the tumor response after radiotherapy (RT) in anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) patients. Methods and Materials 92 patients were treated for ATC at our institution from 1987 to 2012, out of which 64 (70%) received an aggressive multimodal treatment and 28 (30%) a palliative treatment. In the multimodal treatment group, curative-intended surgery, chemotherapy, and RT were delivered in 35 (55%), 59 (92%), and 56 (88%) patients. The maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) was determined in tumor (T), nodes (N) and metastases (M) in each available 18 F-FDG PET/CT. Results The median follow-up was 3.2 years. The 1-year actuarial overall survival (OS) was 18% (median: 5.2 months) in the entire population and 27% (median: 7 months) in the multimodal treatment group. In the multivariate analysis, RT, surgery, and pre-RT chemotherapy independently predicted for OS, with HRs respectively of 0.1, 0.3, and 0.5. Quantification of FDG uptake with SUVmax was assessable in 26 (40%), 19 (30%), and 25 (39%) of 18 F-FDG PET/CT performed initially (prior to any treatment), prior to RT, and after RT, respectively. Mean SUVmax significantly decreased in T ( p < 0.001), but not in N ( p = 0.1) and M ( p = 0.3) during the assessment period, which might be related to the local effect of RT. Comparing pre- and post-RT 18 F-FDG PET/CT, the T mean relative SUVmax decrease was lower (23 ± 54%) in the 4 patients that had a local relapse (LR) as compared with others in the 12 others patients (62 ± 33%; p = 0.3). A relative SUVmax decrease inferior to 20% significantly predicted for LR ( p = 0.02). Conclusion The prognosis of ATC patients remains dismal despite an aggressive multimodal treatment. Although our results were not significant, 18 F-FDG PET/CT could potentially serve as a surrogate marker of treatment response in ATC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background This study was designed to gauge the effectiveness of evaluation of tumor response and prognosis by positron emission tomography with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) before and after preoperative chemoradiotherapy in patients with esophageal cancer. Methods Forty-nine patients from October 2008 to September 2012 with locally advanced stage esophageal carcinoma, clinical stage T2-4N0-3M0, who underwent preoperative chemoradiotherapy (preop CRT) followed by esophagectomy were enrolled in our study. All patients underwent two FDG-PET scans to compare those results with the pathologic results. Metabolic response of the primary tumor by the percentage change of the SUVmax/1 hour (ΔSUV) before and after preop CRT (ΔSUV was calculated as the difference between preop CRT SUVmax/1 hour and postop CRT SUVmax/1 hour divided by preop CRT SUVmax/1 hour at esophageal tumor) was evaluated for overall survival (OS), disease free survival (DFS), local recurrence rate, and distant failure free survival (DFFS). Prognostic factors such as age, different regimen of chemotherapy, pathologic stage, FDG-PET stage, endoscopic esophageal tumor length, and ΔSUV were analyzed. The number of highly suspect malignant lymph nodes was calculated by PET when SUVmax/1 hour ≥2.5 and by surgical removal. Sensitivity and specificity of regional lymph node detection by PET were also recorded. Results Upon univariate analysis, overall survival rate was related to ΔSUV >60% ( p = 0.045), pathological N stage ( p = 0.001), and endoscopic total length of esophageal tumor ( p = 0.005). The result of FDG-PET scan after preop CRT had high specificity (96.7%) but low sensitivity (45.8%) in predicting the residual malignant lymph node numbers. The positive and the negative prediction rates were 44% and 96%, respectively. The result of the FDG-PET after preop CRT showed upstaged in 16 patients (32.6%), downstaged in nine patients (18.3%), and the same stage in 24 patients (48.9%) when compared with the pathologic stage. Conclusion The change of SUVmax can be a tool for evaluating tumor response after preop CRT. There is also a trend of good prognosis in overall survival rate when ΔSUV value is >60%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To assess early tumor responsiveness and the corresponding effective radiosensitivity for individual patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) based on 2 successive 18 F-fludeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) scans. Methods and Materials Twenty-six NSCLC patients treated in Maastricht were included in the study. Fifteen patients underwent sequential chemoradiation therapy, and 11 patients received concomitant chemoradiation therapy. All patients were imaged with FDG before the start and during the second week of radiation therapy. The sequential images were analyzed in relation to the dose delivered until the second image. An operational quantity, effective radiosensitivity, α eff , was determined at the voxel level. Correlations were sought between the average α eff or the fraction of negative α eff values and the overall survival at 2 years. Separate analyses were performed for the primary gross target volume (GTV), the lymph node GTV, and the clinical target volumes (CTVs). Results Patients receiving sequential treatment could be divided into responders and nonresponders, using a threshold for the average α eff of 0.003 Gy −1 in the primary GTV, with a sensitivity of 75% and a specificity of 100% ( P <.0001). Choosing the fraction of negative α eff as a criterion, the threshold 0.3 also had a sensitivity of 75% and a specificity of 100% ( P <.0001). Good prognostic potential was maintained for patients receiving concurrent chemotherapy. For lymph node GTV, the correlation had low statistical significance. A cross-validation analysis confirmed the potential of the method. Conclusions Evaluation of the early response in NSCLC patients showed that it is feasible to determine a threshold value for effective radiosensitivity corresponding to good response. It also showed that a threshold value for the fraction of negative α eff could also be correlated with poor response. The proposed method, therefore, has potential to identify candidates for more aggressive strategies to increase the rate of local control and also avoid exposing to unnecessary aggressive therapies the majority of patients responding to standard treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chordomas are rare bone tumors, developed from the notochord and largely resistant to chemotherapy. A special feature of this tumor is the heterogeneity of its cells. By combining high pressure freezing (HPF) with electron tomography we were able to illustrate the connections within the cells, the cell-cell interface, and the mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum membrane complex that appears to play a special role among the characteristics of chordoma. These lipid raft-like regions are responsible for lipid syntheses and for calcium signaling. Compared to other tumor cells, chordoma cells show a close connection of rough endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria, which may influence the sphingolipid metabolism and calcium release. We quantified levels of ceramide and glycosylceramide species by the methyl tert-butyl ether extraction method and we assessed the intracellular calcium concentration with the ratiometric fluorescent dye Fura-2AM. Measurements of the changes in the intracellular calcium concentration revealed an increase in calcium due to the application of acetylcholine. With regard to lipid synthesis, glucosylceramide levels in the chordoma cell line were significantly higher than those in normal healthy cells. The accumulation of glycosylceramide in drug resistant cancer cells has been confirmed in many types of cancer and may also account for drug resistance in chordoma. This study aimed to provide a deep morphological description of chordoma cells, it demonstrated that HPF analysis is useful in elucidating detailed structural information. Furthermore we demonstrate how an accumulation of glycosylceramide in chordoma provides links to drug resistance and opens up the field for new research options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cancer patients undergo routine computed-tomography (CT) scans and, therefore, iodinated contrast media (ICM) administration. It is not known whether a time-dependent correlation exists between chemotherapy administration, contrast enhanced CT and onset of acute ICM-related adverse reactions (ARs). Methods: All consecutive contrast-enhanced CTs performed from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2012 within 30 days of the last chemotherapy administration were retrospectively reviewed. Episodes of acute ICM-related ARs were reported to the pharmacovigilance officer. We analyzed time to CT evaluation calculated as the time elapsed from the date of the CT performed to the date of the last chemotherapy administration. Patients were classified into 4 groups based on the antineoplastic treatment: platinum-based, taxane-based, platinum plus taxane and other group. Results: Out of 10,472 contrast-enhanced CTs performed, 3,945 carried out on 1,878 patients were considered for the study. Forty acute ICM-related ARs (1.01%; 95% CI, 0.70-1.33) were reported. No differences were seen among immediate (within 10 days of the last chemotherapy administration), early (11-20 days) and delayed (21-30 days) CTs. Median time to CT in patients who experienced an acute ICM-related AR by treatment group was not statistically different: 20 days (range 6-30), 17 days (range 5-22), 13 days (range 8-17), 13 days (range (2-29) for the platinum, taxane, platinum plus taxane and other group, respectively (P =0.251). Conclusions: Our results did not reveal any correlation between time to CT and risk of acute ICM-related ARs in cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To determine the frequency and appearance of radiation-induced liver disease on PET/CT in patients undergoing serial imaging during neoadjuvant chemoradiation of distal esophageal cancer. Materials and methods: In this IRB-approved, HIPAA-compliant retrospective analysis, we identified 112 patients with distal esophageal cancer treated by neoadjuvant chemoradiation who had serial PET/CT imaging available for review. Two readers reviewed all studies in consensus and recorded those cases where new foci of visually detectable increased FDG avidity appeared in the liver during therapy. The etiology of such foci was determined from corresponding findings at CT or MRI, by hepatic biopsy during surgery, by characteristic evolution on post-operative imaging, or by a combination of these methods. Results: New foci of FDG avidity developed in the liver during neoadjuvant therapy in 10 of 112 (9%) patients, of whom nine (8%) were determined to have radiation-induced liver disease based on further imaging and/or biopsy and one of whom had developed interval metastatic disease based on biopsy. In the cases of radiation-induced liver disease, the abnormal foci were found only in the caudate and left hepatic lobes, near the primary tumor, while the patient who developed interval metastatic disease had involvement of the inferior right hepatic lobe, remote from the radiation therapy field. Conclusion: New foci of increased FDG avidity are commonly seen in the caudate and left hepatic lobes of the liver during neoadjuvant chemoradiation of distal esophageal cancer, and these findings generally reflect radiation-induced liver disease rather than metastatic disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim To assess the predictive value of fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose ( 18 F-FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in early assessing response during neo-adjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer. Materials and methods A systematic review was performed by search of MEDLINE Library for the following terms: “rectal carcinoma OR rectal cancer”, “predictive OR prediction OR response assessment OR response OR assessment”, “early OR ad interim ”, “therapy”, “FDG OR 18 F-FDG”, “PET OR PET/CT”. Articles performed by the use of stand-alone PET scanners were excluded. Results 10 studies met the inclusion criteria, including 302 patients. PET/CT demonstrated a good early predictive value in the global cohort (mean sensitivity = 79%; mean specificity = 78%). SUV and its percentage decrease (response index = RI) were calculated in all studies. A higher accuracy was demonstrated for RI (mean sensitivity = 82%; pooled specificity = 85%) with a mean cut-off of 42%. The mean time point to perform PET scan during CRT resulted to be at 1.85 weeks. Some PET parameters resulted to be both predictive and not statistical predictive of response, maybe due to the small population and few studies bias. Conclusion PET showed high accuracy in early prediction response during preoperative CRT, increased with the use of RI as parameter. In the era of tailored treatment, the precocious assessment of non-responder patients allows modification of the subsequent strategy especially the timing and the type of surgical approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose To assess the role of coregistered 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) in detecting radiographically occult distant metastasis (DM) at staging in patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC) and to study whether FDG-PET parameters can predict relatively long-term survival in patients who are more likely to benefit from chemoradiation therapy (CRT). Methods and Materials From our institutional database, we identified 388 LAPC patients with M0 on conventional computed tomography (CT) who were planned to undergo CRT. Coregistered FDG-PET staging was offered to all patients, and follow-up FDG-PET was used at the clinical discretion of the physician. Results FDG-PET detected unsuspected CT-occult DM in 33% of all 388 patients and allowed them to receive systemic therapy immediately. The remaining 260 patients (PET-M0) underwent CRT selectively as an initial treatment. Early DM arose in 13.1% of 260 patients, and the 1-year estimated locoregional recurrence rate was 5.4%. Median overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were 14.6 and 9.3 months, respectively, at a median follow-up time of 32.3 months (range, 10-99.1 months). Patients with a baseline standardized uptake value (SUV) <3.5 and/or SUV decline ≥60% had significantly better OS and PFS than those having none, even after adjustment for all potential confounding variables (all P<.001). Conclusions FDG-PET can detect radiographically occult DM at staging in one-third of patients and spare them from the potentially toxic therapy. Additionally, FDG-PET parameters including baseline SUV and SUV changes may serve as useful clinical markers for predicting the prognosis in LAPC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The criterion of two target lesions per organ in the RECIST 1.1 is an arbitrary one, not being supported by any objective evidence. We compared tumor responses, respectively, using the RECIST 1.1 (measuring two target lesions per organ) and modified RECIST 1.1 (measuring the single largest lesion in each organ) in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Materials and methods We reviewed medical records of patients with advanced NSCLC who received a first-line chemotherapy between January 2004 and December 2013 and compared tumor responses according to the two criteria using computed tomography. Results A total of 64 patients who had at least two target lesions in any organ according to the RECIST 1.1 were included in the study. The differences in the percentage changes of the sum of tumor measurements between the RECIST 1.1 and mRECIST 1.1 were all within 10%. Thirty-three patients (51.6%) showed an increase in the absolute value of the percentage change when adopting the mRECIST 1.1, instead of the RECIST 1.1. The tumor responses showed high concordance between the two criteria (k = 0.899). Only three patients (4.7%) showed disagreement of the responses between the RECIST 1.1 and mRECIST 1.1. The overall response rates (20.3% vs. 20.3%) and disease control rates (89.1% vs. 90.6%) of first-line chemotherapy were not significantly different between the two criteria. Conclusion The modified RECIST 1.1 was comparable to the original RECIST 1.1 in the response assessment of patients with advanced NSCLC. Our result suggests that it may be possible to measure the single largest target lesion per organ for evaluation of the best tumor response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy ( CRT) before surgery results in a pathological complete response ( pCR) rate in about 1/3 of the patients, which is correlated with survival. It was hypothesized that volumetric tumor response to CRT would correlate with outcomes. Patients who completed trimodality therapy, where planning, pre-, and post- CRT computed tomography scans were available, and pathology was reviewed by a central pathologist, were eligible for analysis. Absolute and relative tumor volume change pretreatment and post-treatment were correlated with pCR, locoregional recurrence ( LRR), disease-free survival, and overall survival. Fifty-six patients were analyzed. pCR was observed in 30% of patients. Median follow up was 20.3 (range 4-89) months. The 2- and 4-year overall survival was 61.3% (95% confidence interval [ CI]: 45-74) and 25.0% (95% CI: 11-41); proportion disease free was 32.1% (95% CI: 19-46) and 20.6% (9-36) at 2 and 4 years, respectively. The median relative volume reduction was 17% (95% CI: −24, −3%). Using 20% as the criteria, the proportion of patients with pCR of ≥20% versus <20% was 13/25 (52%) versus 4/31 (13%) for those who did not (odds ratio 7.3; 95% CI: 2-27). The LRR at 2 and 4 years were 29.5% (95% CI: 16-43) and 36.2% (95% CI: 23-50). The relative tumor reduction ≥20% was significantly correlated with LRR (hazard ratio 0.24; 95% CI: 0.07-0.8; p 0.02) at 2 and 4 years, respectively. Relative tumor volume reduction following CRT is correlated with pCR and LRR. Further investigations are warranted to examine the effect of volume change, alone or in conjunction with other factors as potential predictors for pathological response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Having incorporated PET-CT as part of the staging process for colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) in our unit since 2008, this study aims to evaluate the survival outcomes of all patients managed by our specialist multi-disciplinary team (MDT). Methods All patients with colorectal liver metastases referred to a single liver MDT between 2008 and 2011 were examined. Overall survival (OS) for palliative groups due to occult extrahepatic disease detected by PET-CT (A) and those upfront palliative patients with extensive multi-site disease as identified on baseline CT or disease progression during chemotherapy (B), and resected (C) groups were evaluated and compared. Different extents of occult extrahepatic disease as characterised by PET-CT were also compared. Results 532 patients were included in the study. Median OS for group A (n = 80), B (n = 161) and C (n = 291) were 10.9, 12.0 and 46.7 months, with a 5-year OS approaching 6.5%, 6.1% and 43.0% respectively. There were significant differences in OS of C vs. A & B (p < 0.001). Single compartment metastases had a significant better survival outcomes than non-torso metastases (p = 0.04). Conclusion This is the first report of OS of patients with CRLM excluded from surgery on the basis of PET-CT. We have confirmed that PET-CT is effective in selecting patients with occult extrahepatic disease, which has poor survival outcomes. However, a subgroup with single compartment extrahepatic disease has a better than expected outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The risk of tumor progression during neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in esophageal cancer (EC) is around 8% to 17%. We assessed the efficacy of computed tomography (CT) to identify these patients before esophagectomy. METHODS: Ninety-seven patients with locally advanced EC treated with Carboplatin/Paclitaxel and 41.4 Gy neoadjuvantly were restaged with CT. Two radiologists reviewed pre- and post-CRT CT images. The primary outcome was detection of clinically relevant progressive disease. Missed metastases were defined as metastatic disease found during surgery or within 3 months after post-CRT CT. RESULTS: Progressive disease was detected in 9 patients (9%). Both radiologists detected 5 patients with distant metastases (liver, n = 4; lung metastasis, n = 1), but missed progressive disease in 4 cases. One radiologist falsely assessed 2 metastatic lesions, but after agreement progressive disease was detected with sensitivity and specificity of 56% and 100%, respectively. CONCLUSION: CT is effective in detecting clinically relevant progressive disease in EC patients, after neoadjuvant treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This subset analysis of the randomized FOLL05 trial demonstrated that post-induction PET can improve response assessment and is a strong independent prognostic tool in follicular lymphoma. Future studies should be designed to assess if a PET-driven approach could further improve outcome.Background [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (PET) is emerging as a strong diagnostic and prognostic tool in follicular lymphoma (FL) patients. Patients and methods In a subset analysis of the FOLL05 trial (NCT00774826), we investigated the prognostic role of post-induction PET (PI-PET) scan. Patients were eligible to this study if they had a PI-PET scan carried out within 3 months from the end of induction immunochemotherapy. Progression-free survival (PFS) was the primary study end point. Results A total of 202 patients were eligible and analysed for this study. The median age was 55 years (range 33–75). Overall, PI-PET was defined as positive in 49 (24%) patients. Conventional response assessment with CT scan was substantially modified by PET: 15% (22/145) of patients considered as having a complete response (CR) after CT were considered as having partial response (PR) after PI-PET and 53% (30/57) patients considered as having a PR after CT were considered as a CR after PI-PET. With a median follow-up of 34 months, the 3-year PFS was 66% and 35%, respectively, for patients with negative and positive PI-PET (P < 0.001). At multivariate analysis, PI-PET (hazard ratio 2.57, 95% confidence interval 1.52–4.34, P < 0.001) was independent of conventional response, FLIPI and treatment arm. Also, the prognostic role of PI-PET was maintained within each FLIPI risk group. Conclusions In FL patients, PI-PET substantially modifies response assessment and is strongly predictive for the risk of progression. PET should be considered in further updates of response criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on a rare case of sarcoidosis that developed after chemotherapy for ovarian cancer, and mimicked a cancer metastasis. A 52-year-old female diagnosed with stage III ovarian cancer underwent curative surgery and postoperative chemotherapy. Four months later, her whole-body positron emission tomography and computed tomography (CT) scan showed high uptake in the mediastinal lymph nodes, and ovarian cancer recurrence was suspected. Biopsy of the mediastinal lymph nodes and subcutaneous nodules revealed noncaseating granulomas. These lesions resolved spontaneously without treatment; however, newly developed perilymphatic and centrilobular nodules were observed on follow-up chest CT. Surgical biopsy of these lesions also showed noncaseating granulomas. She was finally diagnosed with sarcoidosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the prognostic role of metabolic response by the use of serial sets of positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in patients with cervical cancer who were treated with concurrent chemoradiation therapy (CCRT). Methods and Materials: A total of 60 patients who were treated with CCRT between February 2009 and December 2010 were analyzed. Three sequential PET/CT images were acquired for each patient: pre-CCRT, during-CCRT at 4 weeks of CCRT, and 1 month post-CCRT PET/CT. Metabolic responses were assessed qualitatively. The percentage changes in the maximum values of standardized uptake value (ΔSUVmax%) from the PET/CT images acquired pre-CCRT and during-CCRT were calculated. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to evaluate whether ΔSUVmax% could predict complete response (CR) on the post-CCRT PET/CT and to identify the best cutoff value. Prognostic factors of progression-free survival (PFS) were analyzed. Results: During-CCRT PET/CT showed that 8 patients (13%) had CR, and the other 52 patients (87%) had partial response (PR). On the post-CCRT PET/CT, 43 patients (73%) had CR, 12 patients (20%) had PR, and 4 patients (7%) had progressive disease. The average SUVmax in primary tumors was 16.3 (range, 6.4-53.0) on the pre-CCRT PET/CT images and 5.3 (range, 0-19.4) on the during-CCRT PET/CT images. According to ROC curve analysis, ΔSUVmax% could predict CR response on post-CCRT PET/CT (P<.001, cutoff value of 59.7%). In all patients, the PFS rate was 71.9% at 2 years. Multivariate analysis showed that ΔSUVmax% ≥60% (P=.045) and CR response on the post-CCRT PET/CT (P=.012) were statistically significant predictors of PFS. Conclusion: Metabolic responses on the during-CCRT images at 4 weeks of treatment and 1-month post-CCRT PET/CT images may predict treatment outcomes in patients with cervical cancer. ΔSUVmax% ≥60% at 4 weeks of CCRT may predict CR response on 1-month post-CCRT PET/CT and also PFS. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Pleural dissemination detected by computed tomography (CT) is considered to be unfavorable for patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the prognosis of NSCLC patients who are diagnosed with pleural dissemination at the time of surgery has yet to be adequately elucidated. To assess the outcomes of platinum-based chemotherapy in NSCLC patients in whom pleural dissemination was detected during exploratory thoracotomy with or without a videoscope, the clinical records of NSCLC patients who were admitted to Shizuoka Cancer Center between September, 2002 and April, 2009 were reviewed. A total of 19 patients were included in this study, 12 males and 7 females, with a median age of 65 years. All patients were diagnosed with adenocarcinoma and 6 were epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene mutation-positive. The median number of treatment cycles of first-line platinum-based chemotherapy was 4 (range, 1-6 cycles) and the objective response rate was 21% [95% confidence interval (CI): 8.5-43]. The median progression-free and overall survival were 10.4 (95% CI: 6.3-18.4) and 50.5 months (95% CI: 32.5-98.0), respectively. Of the 18 patients with reported disease progression, 9 (50%) developed locoregional tumor progression. In conclusion, NSCLC patients in whom pleural dissemination is detected during surgery tend to have a favorable prognosis for survival. Systemic chemotherapy and additional local treatment may improve their clinical outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, monitoring tumor response to therapy is a crucial issue in oncology. In daily clinical practice, tumormarkers tests and anatomical imaging modalities are the most used techniques, but they have significant limits. Positron emission tomography (PET) is a molecular and functionnal imaging technique and, is by this fact, considered as a method of choice for assessing tumor response with cytotoxic chemotherapies and even more with targeted therapies. Some limits of 18F-fluoro-deoxy-glucose (18F-FDG) PET are overcome by the current development of new radioactive tracers. For those reasons, PET appears to be the most encouraging technique to assess tumor response for the next decade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the feasibility of preoperative adaptive radiochemotherapy by delivering a concomitant boost to the residual tumor during the last 6 fractions of treatment. Methods and Materials: Twenty-five patients with T3/T4N0 or N+ rectal cancer were enrolled. Concomitant chemotherapy consisted of oxaliplatin 100 mg/m2 on days −14, 0, and +14, and 5-fluorouracil 200 mg/m2/d from day −14 to the end of radiation therapy (day 0 is the start of radiation therapy). Radiation therapy consisted of 41.4 Gy in 18 fractions (2.3 Gy per fraction) with Tomotherapy to the tumor and regional lymph nodes (planning target volume, PTV) defined on simulation CT and MRI. After 9 fractions simulation CT and MRI were repeated for the planning of the adaptive phase: PTVadapt was generated by adding a 5-mm margin to the residual tumor. In the last 6 fractions a boost of 3.0 Gy per fraction (in total 45.6 Gy in 18 fractions) was delivered to PTVadapt while concomitantly delivering 2.3 Gy per fraction to PTV outside PTVadapt. Results: Three patients experienced grade 3 gastrointestinal toxicity; 2 of 3 showed toxicity before the adaptive phase. Full dose of radiation therapy, oxaliplatin, and 5-fluorouracil was delivered in 96%, 96%, and 88% of patients, respectively. Two patients with clinical complete response (cCR) refused surgery and were still cCR at 17 and 29 months. For the remaining 23 resected patients, 15 of 23 (65%) showed tumor regression grade 3 response, and 7 of 23 (30%) had pathologic complete response; 8 (35%) and 12 (52%) tumor regression grade 3 patients had ≤5% and 10% residual viable cells, respectively. Conclusions: An adaptive boost strategy is feasible, with an acceptable grade 3 gastrointestinal toxicity rate and a very encouraging tumor response rate. The results suggest that there should still be room for further dose escalation of the residual tumor with the aim of increasing pathologic complete response and/or cCR rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim Patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma ( HCC) often undergo transcatheter arterial chemoembolization ( TACE). Miriplatin is a lipophilic cisplatin derivative used in TACE that is effective in HCC. However, the difference in antitumor efficacy between warmed versus room temperature miriplatin is unclear. Methods Chemotherapy efficacy was evaluated by dynamic computed tomography 1-3 months after TACE, according to the Modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors. A total of 203 patients with HCC who received TACE with miriplatin for the first time were included in a follow-up study to retrospectively investigate its efficacy and safety. Overall, 45 patients underwent TACE with warmed (40° C) miriplatin and 158 patients received TACE with room temperature miriplatin. Results Seventy patients (44.3%) treated with room temperature miriplatin and 32 patients (71.1%) who received warmed miriplatin experienced complete or partial responses. Multivariate analysis identified miriplatin temperature (warmed miriplatin, risk ratio ( RR) = 2.26, P = 0.047), tumor number (solitary, RR = 3.48, P = 0.007), α-fetoprotein ( AFP) level (<50 ng/ mL, RR = 2.35, P = 0.012) and history of TACE (no history, RR = 2.22, P = 0.041) as predictors of objective response following TACE with miriplatin, and no serious complications were observed. Conclusion Warm temperature, solitary tumors, low AFP level and first TACE are significant and independent predictors of objective response after TACE using miriplatin. These results suggest that warmed miriplatin can be considered as one of the standard treatments for unresectable HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PET/CT has proven to be extremely useful in studying neoplasms of the colon and esophagus. It has been less promising for lesions of the stomach, pancreas and hepatobiliary tract. Colorectal cancer is the third most common non-cutaneous cancer representing 13% of all malignancies. The use of colonoscopy has significantly contributed to the earlier detection and higher cure rate. PET/CT is not a screening procedure. It is very good for staging, recurrence detection and monitoring therapeutic interventions. It is excellent for detecting distant metastases, e.g. liver lesions, but is less accurate for detecting nodal involvement. The CT portion of the study enhances certainty of lesion localization and characterization. Esophageal cancer is less common in the U.S. in that it represents 7% of G-I cancers, but only 1% of all cancers. The major problem is that often it is advanced to Stages III or IV before it comes to clinical recognition. A 5-year survival has been improved from 3% to 10% by the use of induction chemoradiotherapy. PET has proven useful in staging and determining resectability, monitoring response to therapy, radiotherapy treatment planning and distinguishing between postop scar and residual or recurrent disease on CT. Gastric cancer results have been more variable. The intestinal (tubular variety) shows better uptake than the non-intestinal (signet ring cell) variety because of the greater mucous content of the latter which is associated with more false negatives. FDG uptake in pancreatic cancer is also variable. Attempts at distinguishing carcinoma from pancreatitis have been limited. When lesions do show uptake, PET/CT has been helpful in monitoring therapeutic interventions. Hepatocellular cancer demonstrates significant FDG uptake in only 50-70% of cases. Cholangio carcinomas; particularly the peripheral variety, do show significant FDG uptake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The present study evaluated the predictive and prognostic impact of initial fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer treated with neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). Methods: Eighty-one consecutive patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (cT3-T4 N−/N+) treated with neoadjuvant CCRT were enrolled. The FDG-PET/CT parameters, including the SUVmax, metabolic tumor volume (MTV, 50 % of SUVmax), and multiplication of the SUVmean and MTV (total lesion glycolysis, TLG), were analyzed in relation to the pathologic response and disease recurrence. Results: Five patients (6.2 %) achieved a pathologic complete response (pCR) after CCRT followed by surgery. None of the FDG-PET/CT parameters was identified as a predictive factor for pCR. After a median follow-up period of 26.7 (range 10.9-63.3) months, 19 patients (23.5 %) presented a local and/or distant recurrence. In a multivariate analysis including the clinicopathologic parameters, the TLG of the primary tumor was associated with a worse disease-free survival after neoadjuvant CCRT (HR 20.035, 95 % CI 1.726-232.559; P = 00.017). Conclusions: The TLG of the primary tumor in the initial FDG-PET/CT can be considered as a prognostic factor for patients with locally advanced rectal cancer treated with neoadjuvant CCRT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: We evaluated FDG-positron emission tomography/computerized tomography for monitoring the response of pelvic lymph node metastasis to neoadjuvant chemotherapy for bladder cancer. We compared this to contrast enhanced computerized tomography. Materials and Methods: Included in study were 19 consecutive patients with lymph node positive bladder cancer who underwent FDG-positron emission tomography/computerized tomography and contrast enhanced computerized tomography before and after a median of 4 cycles (range 2 to 4) of neoadjuvant chemotherapy between September 2011 and April 2012. Metabolic response was assessed according to EORTC (European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer) recommendations based on the change in FDG uptake on FDG-positron emission tomography/computerized tomography. Radiological response was assessed on contrast enhanced computerized tomography according to RECIST (Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors) 1.1. All patients underwent pelvic lymph node dissection. Histopathological evaluation served as the gold standard for the nodal response. Results: Before neoadjuvant chemotherapy, hypermetabolic FDG uptake was seen in all 19 patients, which matched the lymph node metastasis. Evaluating the nodal response with positron emission tomography/computerized tomography was feasible in all patients. On histopathology 16 patients were responders, including 14 with a complete pathological response of the lymph nodes. Positron emission tomography/computerized tomography and contrast enhanced computerized tomography correctly distinguished responders from nonresponders (18 of 19 patients or 94.7% and 15 of 19 or 78.9%) and complete responders from patients with residual disease (13 of 19 or 68.4% and 12 of 19 or 63.2%, respectively). Conclusions: Although no definitive conclusions can be drawn from these preliminary data, positron emission tomography/computerized tomography appears feasible for evaluating the nodal response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy and distinguishing responders from nonresponders. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background The goal of this study was to create a comprehensive model for malignant pleural mesothelioma patient survival utilizing continuous, time-varying estimates of disease volume from computed tomography (CT) imaging in conjunction with clinical covariates. Patients and methods Serial CT scans were obtained during the course of clinically standard chemotherapy for 81 patients. The pleural disease volume was segmented for each of the 281 CT scans, and relative changes in disease volume from the baseline scan were tracked over the course of serial follow-up imaging. A prognostic model was built using time-varying disease volume measurements in conjunction with clinical covariates. Results Over the course of treatment, disease volume decreased by an average of 19%, and median patient survival was 12.6 months from baseline. In a multivariate survival model, changes in disease volume were significantly associated with patient survival along with disease histology, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status, and presence of dyspnea. Conclusions Analysis of the trajectories of disease volumes during chemotherapy for patients with mesothelioma indicates that increasing disease volume was significantly and independently associated with poor patient prognosis in both univariate and multivariate survival models. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose: Conformal treatment of para-aortic lymph nodes (PAN) in cervical cancer allows dose escalation and reduces normal tissue toxicity. Currently, data documenting the precise location of involved PAN are lacking. We define the spatial distribution of this high-risk nodal volume by analyzing fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-avid lymph nodes (LNs) on positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scans in patients with cervical cancer. Methods and Materials: We identified 72 PANs on pretreatment PET/CT of 30 patients with newly diagnosed stage IB-IVA cervical cancer treated with definitive chemoradiation. LNs were classified as left-lateral para-aortic (LPA), aortocaval (AC), or right paracaval (RPC). Distances from the LN center to the closest vessel and adjacent vertebral body were calculated. Using deformable image registration, nodes were mapped to a template computed tomogram to provide a visual impression of nodal frequencies and anatomic distribution. Results: We identified 72 PET-positive para-aortic lymph nodes (37 LPA, 32 AC, 3 RPC). All RPC lymph nodes were in the inferior third of the para-aortic region. The mean distance from aorta for all lymph nodes was 8.3 mm (range, 3-17 mm), and from the inferior vena cava was 5.6 mm (range, 2-10 mm). Of the 72 lymph nodes, 60% were in the inferior third, 36% were in the middle third, and 4% were in the upper third of the para-aortic region. In all, 29 of 30 patients also had FDG-avid pelvic lymph nodes. Conclusions: A total of 96% of PET positive nodes were adjacent to the aorta; PET positive nodes to the right of the IVC were rare and were all located distally, within 3 cm of the aortic bifurcation. Our findings suggest that circumferential margins around the vessels do not accurately define the nodal region at risk. Instead, the anatomical extent of the nodal basin should be contoured on each axial image to provide optimal coverage of the para-aortic nodal compartment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Background: This retrospective study evaluates the efficacy and safety of surgery and chemotherapy (S +CT) vs. radiotherapy and CT (RT+CT) in patients with limited stage small cell esophageal cancer (LS-SCEC). Patients and methods: Patients included in analysis (from our hospital and the literature) were treated with S+CT or RT+CT between 1989 and 2012. The primary end point was overall survival (OS); secondary end points included tumor response and toxicity. Kaplan–Meier OS curves were compared with the log-rank test. Cox regression analysis was used to determine prognosticators for OS. Results: A total of 127 patients were included: 14 from our hospital and 113 from the literature. Fifty-four (43%) and 73 (57%) patients received S+CT or RT+CT, respectively. The median OS of all patients was 21.0months. OS was longer for those who received RT+CT rather than S+CT (33.0 vs. 17.5months, p =0.02), especially those with N1 disease. Uni- and multi-variate analyses showed tumor location (upper 1/3rd of esophagus) and type of treatment (S+CT) were poor prognostic factors of OS. Conclusion: LS-SCEC patients treated with RT+CT had an improved OS compared to those treated with S+RT. Thus, RT+CT should be considered as a primary approach for these patients. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: The goal of this study is to study and report the clinical outcomes and patterns of failure after intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for T4 nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). A total of 70 patients treated with IMRT between 2004 and 2009 were eligible for study inclusion. According to the staging system of 2010 AJCC, all the primary tumors were attributed to T4 stage, while the distribution of disease by N stage was N0 in 2, N1 in 23, N2 in 39, N3a in 1, and N3b in 5. The location and extent of locoregional failures were transferred to the pretreatment planning computed tomography for dosimetry analysis. The median follow-up period was 26.8 (range, 4–78) months. The overall 2-year local failure-free survival, regional failure-free survival, distant failure-free survival, and overall survival rate was 82.1%, 92.3%, 73.8%, and 82.5%, respectively. Thirty-three patients had developed treatment failure. Of the 33 patients, 11, 2, and 15 had developed local failure, regional failure, and distant metastasis, respectively, 2 had developed locoregional failure, 1 had developed distant metastasis and failure at the primary, and 2 had developed distant metastasis and failure at the primary and nodal site. Eight of the locoregional failures were marginal. The results of treating T4 NPC with IMRT were excellent. Advanced T4 disease remained difficult to treat. One possible strategy is to lessen the dose constraint criteria of selected neurologic structures. Distant metastasis remains the most difficult treatment challenge for patients with T4 NPC at present, and more effective systemic chemotherapy should be explored. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective: Exact determination of localization and extent of peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) before peritonectomy and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is crucial for the clinical outcome. Our study compares dynamic contrast enhanced 3D MRI (T1wDCE) and 18F-FDG PET/CT regarding diagnostic accuracy in correlation with surgical exploration (SE) and histological (HI) results. Materials and methods: 15 patients with PC were examined on a 1.5T MRI and 16 slice PET/CT. MRI: coronal T1wDCE covering the complete abdomen (0.15 mmol Gd-chelate/kg BW, 2000 mL mannitol solution p.o., 40 mg buscopan i.v.). PET-CT: contrast enhanced 16slice CT (120 mL ultravist 370 i.v., 1000 mL mannitol solution p.o., 40 mg buscopan i.v.), PET: 350 MBq 18-FDG i.v., 3 min acquisition time/bed, 60 min after tracer injektion). Assessment by two independent, experienced observers in correlation with results of SE and HI for each abdominal segment based on the peritoneal cancer index (PCI) proposed by Sugarbaker and co-authors. Results: MRI and PET/CT provided reliable detection of PC. One patient had to be excluded from statistical analysis. In summary, 182 segments were assessed (13/patient, 14 patients, one patient excluded from statistical analysis). PC was found in 118 by MRI, 124 by PET/CT. 4 segments were classified false positive for MRI, 2 for PET/CT. False negative segments (MRI: 17, PET/CT: 9) did not result in irresectability. Positive predictive value for PC/segment was 97/98%, negative predictive value 73/84%, sensitivity 87/93%, specificity 92/96%, and diagnostic accuracy 88/94% (MRI/PET/CT). Conclusion: With high diagnostic accuracy for PC of both, MRI and PET/CT, PET/CT provides better diagnostic accuracy and especially better NPV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To assess the performance of CT-Enteroclysis (CTE) in the preoperative evaluation of the small bowel (SB) involvement in patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC), candidates for cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). Material and methods: In this prospective study, 48 consecutive patients (37 women, 11 men, mean age: 57.02 years) with PC of different primaries, eligible for cytoreductive surgery and HIPEC underwent CTE before surgery. Lesions were gathered according to their location (SB wall or mesentery), distribution (jejunum/ileum, proximal/distal) and lesion size (LS, where LS0 is the absence of disease, LS1 < 1 cm, LS < 1-5 cm, and LS3 > 5 cm in maximal diameter). The preoperative CTE classification was correlated with surgical scoring of PC in the SB. Results: CTE was found to have sensitivity 92%, specificity 96%, PPV 97%, NPV 91%, in assessing PC in the SB/mesentery. CTE exhibited 'excellent' agreement with surgical classification of disease extent (overall kappa-weighted coefficient of agreement ( κ) was 0.962). Patients ( n = 6) found inoperable at surgery manifested extensive plaque-like cover of the SB wall/mesentery on CTE. Conclusions: CTE may be considered a reliable imaging technique for the preoperative evaluation of the extent and distribution of PC in the SB/mesentery in order to assist surgical planning or to prevent unnecessary surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Purpose: To correlate radiotherapy (RT) dose to acute esophagitis (AE) by means of FDG-PET scans acquired after concurrent chemo-radiotherapy (cCRT) for locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Materials and methods: Patients treated with 24×2.75Gy were selected on presence of a post-RT PET (PETpost) scan acquired within 3months after cCRT. The value of PETpost in relation to AE was evaluated by comparing the mean esophageal SUV of the highest 50% (〈SUV50%〉) between gr<2 and gr⩾2AE. The local dose on the esophagus wall was correlated to the SUV and modeled using a power-law fit. The Lyman–Kutcher–Burman (LKB) model was used to predict gr⩾2AE. The local dose–response relation was used in the LKB model to calculate the EUD. Resulting prediction accuracy was compared to D mean, V 35, V 55 and V 60. Results: Eighty-two patients were included (gr<2=25, gr⩾2=57). The 〈SUV50%〉 was significantly higher for gr⩾2AE (2.2 vs. 2.6, p <0.01). The LKB parameters (95% CI) were n =0.130 (0.120–0.141), m =0.25 (0.13–0.85) and TD50 =50.4Gy (37.5–55.4), which resulted in improved predictability of AE compared to other predictors. Conclusion: Esophageal uptake of FDG post-cCRT reflects AE severity. Predictability of grade ⩾2AE was improved by using the local dose–SUV response model, with narrow confidence intervals for the optimized LKB parameters. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Background: When induction chemotherapy (IC) is used prior to chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in head and neck cancer (HNC), functional imaging (FI) may inform adaptation of treatment plans with the aim of optimising outcomes. Understanding the impact of IC on FI parameters is, therefore, essential. Purpose: To prospectively evaluate the feasibility of acquiring serial FI (18F-FDG-PET, diffusion-weighted (DW) and dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI) and its role in defining individualised treatment regimens following IC in HNC. Methods and materials: Ten patients with stage III and IV HNC underwent conventional (CT and MRI) and functional (DW, DCE-MRI and 18F-FDG-PET/CT) imaging at baseline and following two cycles of IC prior to definitive CRT. Results: One patient withdrew due to claustrophobia. Seven out of nine patients had a complete metabolic response to IC on 18F-FDG-PET imaging. DCE-MRI showed a significant fall in transfer constant (Ktrans) (0.209 vs 0.129min−1 P <0.01) and integrated area under gadolinium curve at 60s (IAUGC6O) (18.4 vs 11.9mmol/min, P <0.01) and DW-MRI a rise in ADC (0.89 vs 1.06×10−3 mm2/s, P <0.01) following IC. Conclusions: Acquiring FI sequences is feasible in HNC. There are marked changes in FI parameters following IC which may guide adaptation of individualised treatment regimens. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A 28-year-old African-American woman presented with new onset of left exophthalmos and diplopia. Computed tomography of the head showed a solitary mass in the left orbit. Excisional biopsy revealed a diffuse infiltrate composed of exclusively ?-restricted monotypic plasma cells based on morphology and immunohistochemistry, consistent with a plasma cell neoplasia. A subsequent staging bone marrow biopsy showed involvement of the bone marrow by ?-restricted monotypic plasma cells, consistent with a plasma cell myeloma. Serum protein electrophoresis and immunofixation studies on the peripheral blood showed a monoclonal band of IgE-?; thus, an IgE-? plasma cell myeloma was established. Additional clinical and radiologic workups showed multiple lytic bone lesions, diffuse lymphadenopathy, a pelvic mass, multiple mesenteric soft tissue nodules, and multiple pulmonary nodules, although none of the aforementioned sites was biopsied. The patient was treated with a combination of multiple chemotherapeutic agents and localized radiation due to the aggressive nature of the disease. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of an IgE plasma cell myeloma in a patient under the age of 30 years old presenting as a mass in an extramedullary site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objectives: To evaluate the feasibility of 3D perfusion CT for predicting early treatment response in patients with liver metastasis from colorectal cancer. Methods: Seventeen patients with colon cancer and liver metastasis were prospectively enroled to undergo perfusion CT and 18F-FDG-PET/CT before and after one-cycle of chemotherapy. Two radiologists and three nuclear medicine physicians measured various perfusion CT and PET/CT parameters, respectively from the largest hepatic metastasis. Baseline values and reduction rates of the parameters were compared between responders and nonresponders. Spearman correlation test was used to correlate perfusion CT and PET/CT parameters, using RECIST criteria as reference standard. Results: Nine patients responded to treatment, eight patients were nonresponders. Baseline SUVmean30 on PET/CT, reduction rates of 30% metabolic volume and 30% lesion glycolysis (LG30) on PET/CT and blood flow (BF) and flow extraction product (FEP) on perfusion CT after chemotherapy were significantly different between responders and nonresponders (P =0.008–0.046). Reduction rates of BF (correlation coefficient=0.630) and FEP (correlation coefficient=0.578) significantly correlated with that of LG30 on PET/CT (P <0.05). Conclusion: CT perfusion parameters including BF and FEP may be used as early predictors of tumor response in patients with liver metastasis from colorectal cancer. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

BACKGROUND: The authors report preliminary results from a prospective multicenter study (Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma [NPC] 2003 German Society of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology/German Children's Oncology Group [NPC-2003-GPOH/DCOG]). METHODS: From 2003 to 2010, 45 patients (ages 8-20 years), including 1 patient with stage II NPC and 44 patients with stage III/IV NPC, were recruited to the study. The patient with stage II disease received radiotherapy (59.4 grays [Gy]). The patients with stage III/IV disease received 3 courses of neoadjuvant chemotherapy with cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil, and folinic acid. The cumulative irradiation dose was 54 Gy in 5 patients, who achieved complete remission after neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and 59.4 Gy in the remaining 40 patients. All patients received concomitant cisplatin during the first week and last week of irradiation. After irradiation, all patients received interferon beta for 6 months. Tumor response was evaluated by magnetic resonance imaging studies and positron emission tomography scans. RESULTS: After the completion of treatment, 43 of 45 patients were in complete remission. In 2 patients, only a partial response was achieved, followed by distant metastases (1 patient) or local progression and distant metastases (1 patient), 6 months and 10 months after diagnosis, respectively. Another patient developed a solitary pelvic bone metastasis 21 months after diagnosis. After a median follow-up of 30 months (range, 6-95 months), the event-free survival rate was 92.4%, and the overall survival was 97.1%. Acute toxicity consisted mainly of leucopenia, mucositis, and nausea; and late toxicity consisted of hearing loss and hypothyroidism. CONCLUSIONS: Combined therapy with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, radiochemotherapy, and interferon beta was well tolerated and resulted in a very good outcome that was superior to the outcomes of published results from all other pediatric NPC study groups. Cancer 2012. © 2012 American Cancer Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To correlate the prechemoradiotherapy (CRT) and post-CRT metabolic tumor volume (MTV) on positron emission tomography (PET) scanning with the pathologic response and survival in patients receiving preoperative CRT for esophageal cancer. Materials and Methods: The medical records of 37 patients with histologically confirmed Stage I–IVA esophageal cancer treated with CRT with or without surgical resection were reviewed. Of the 37 patients, 21 received preoperative CRT (57%) and 16 received definitive CRT (43%). All patients had a pre-CRT and 32 had a post-CRT PET scan. The MTV was measured on the pre-CRT PET and post-CRT PET scan, respectively, using a minimum standardized uptake value (SUV) threshold x, where x = 2, 2.5, 3, or the SUV maximum × 50%. The total glycolytic activity (TGAx) was defined as the mean SUV × MTVx. The MTV ratio was defined as the pre-CRT PET MTV/post-CRT MTV. The SUV ratio was defined similarly. A single pathologist scored the pathologic response using a tumor regression grade (TRG) scale. Results: The median follow-up was 1.5 years (range, 0.4–4.9). No significant correlation was found between any parameters on the pre-CRT PET scan and the TRG or overall survival (OS). Multiple post-CRT MTV values and post-TGA values correlated with the TRG and OS; however, the MTV2.5Post and TGA2.5Post had the greatest correlation. The MTV2 ratio correlated with OS. The maximum SUV on either the pre-CRT and post-CRT PET scans or the maximum SUV ratio did not correlate with the TRG or OS. Patients treated preoperatively had survival similar compared with those treated definitively with a good PET response (p = 0.97) and significantly better than that of patients treated definitively with a poor PET response (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: The maximum SUV was not a predictive or prognostic parameter. The MTV2.5 and TGA2.5 were useful markers for predicting the response and survival on the post-CRT PET scan. The MTV2 ratio also correlated with survival. Post-CRT PET can potentially guide therapy after CRT. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Objectives: This study evaluates intra- and interobserver variability of automatic diameter and volume measurements of colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) before and after chemotherapy and its influence on response classification. Methods: Pre-and post-chemotherapy CT-scans of 33 patients with 138 CRLM were evaluated. Two observers measured all metastases three times on pre-and post-chemotherapy CT-scans, using three different techniques: manual diameter (MD), automatic diameter (AD) and automatic volume (AV). RECIST 1.0 criteria were used to define response classification. For each technique, we assessed intra- and interobserver reliability by determining the intraclass correlation coefficient (α-level 0.05). Intra-observer agreement was estimated by the variance coefficient (%). For inter-observer agreement the relative measurement error (%) was calculated using Bland–Altman analysis. In addition, we compared agreement in response classification by calculating kappa-scores (κ) and estimating proportions of discordance between methods (%). Results: Intra-observer variability was 6.05%, 4.28% and 12.72% for MD, AD and AV, respectively. Inter-observer variability was 4.23%, 2.02% and 14.86% for MD, AD and AV, respectively. Chemotherapy marginally affected these estimates. Agreement in response classification did not improve using AD or AV (MD κ =0.653, AD κ =0.548, AV κ =0.548) and substantial discordance between observers was observed with all three methods (MD 17.8%, AD 22.2%, AV 22.2%). Conclusion: Semi-automatic software allows repeatable and reproducible measurement of both diameter and volume measurements of CRLM, but does not reduce variability in response classification. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Intimal sarcoma of pulmonary artery (PAIS) is a rare disease with no characteristic symptoms. No standard therapeutic guidelines have been established so far. A 55-year-old woman who underwent pulmonary endarterectomy in 2005 with a pathological and immunohistochemical result of PAIS was re-admitted to our hospital on August 24, 2009, presenting with cough and dyspnea. The thoracic computed tomography (CT) scan revealed a 12.5 cm × 9 cm well-defined mass in the right lobe, considered a local neoplasm recurrence after a 44 month symptom-free period. As surgical resection was not proposed, she received combined chemotherapy consisting of doxorubicin, cisplatin, and ifosfamide for two cycles. Because of intolerable side effects, she received vinorelbine and cisplatin for the next four cycles. CT scans after six cycles showed remarkable regression of the tumor. After that, she began to take oral cyclophosphamide (50 mg t.i.d) everyday as a maintenance therapy. As of the time of writing, 19 months after the onset of the recurrence, she remains stable. Several antineoplastic drugs have been reported to be used in PAIS, with poor effects in most cases. To our knowledge, this is the first case of PAIS that has been successfully treated by a vinorelbine-based regimen used as second-line chemotherapy. Vinorelbine is a promising drug that may be relatively well tolerated in heavily pretreated patients with PAIS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Guidelines for staging Wilms tumor mandate regional lymph node sampling at nephrectomy. However, the usefulness of preoperative computerized tomography in staging lymph nodes has not been rigorously investigated. Thus, we correlated preoperative computerized tomography and pathological lymph node findings to establish a radiological criterion for pathological lymph node enlargement. Materials and Methods: We reviewed the medical records of children with Wilms tumor at our institution who underwent pre-chemotherapy surgery with lymph node sampling and had preoperative computerized tomography with contrast medium available for interpretation. Computerized tomography was independently reviewed by 2 radiologists blinded to the pathological findings. We collected data on the diameter of the largest regional lymph node identified and this measurement was correlated with the pathological results. Results: A total of 52 children (25 male, 27 female) with a median age of 3.1 years (range 0.4 to 9.6) were identified. The median largest regional lymph node diameter was 6 mm (range 2 to 15). Of the children 10 (19.2%) had metastatic involvement of sampled lymph nodes. A radiological cutoff of 7 mm for lymph node positivity corresponded to a negative predictive value of 89.0%, a sensitivity of 70.0% and a specificity of 57.1%. A ROC curve was constructed with these data describing the prognostic ability of the diameter of the largest regional lymph node on preoperative computerized tomography to determine lymph node positivity in Wilms tumor, which revealed an AUC of 0.67 (95% CI 0.48–0.87, p = 0.09). Conclusions: By defining a radiological size cutoff for suspicious lymph nodes, preoperative computerized tomography for staging lymph nodes in Wilms tumor demonstrates potential clinical usefulness through risk stratification for therapy and future study design. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: Introduction: Patient prognosis in malignant melanoma is directly related to clinical stage, and accurate staging is key to appropriate management. Revised BAD/BAPS (British Association of Dermatologists/British association of Plastic Surgeons) 2010 guidelines for the management of cutaneous melanoma recommend that Computed Tomography (CT) is no longer indicated for AJCC (American Joint Cancer Committee) IIB and IIC disease (Breslow thickness 2.01 – 4 mm with ulceration or >4 mm), unless the patient is symptomatic. Previous UK guidelines had recommended that all patients with AJCC IIB or worse disease should have chest, abdomen and pelvic CT as staging investigations. New guidelines also now include head CT in their recommendations. Our aim was to investigate regional CT findings in those patients diagnosed with AJCC IIB and IIC disease, and establish whether our findings affirmed new UK guidelines. Methods and patient group: A retrospective review of case notes was performed on 172 cases of AJCC IIB and IIC disease referred across Lothian, Borders and Fife to melanoma services during the period of January 2004 to January 2010. Clinical findings, results of initial and follow-up CT scans along with changes in patient management were noted. Chest, abdomen and pelvic CT scan were defined as one scan as they were always performed together. CT head and CT neck were defined as separate scans. A positive CT result was defined as those reported with metastasis or an indeterminate result leading to further investigations. Change in management was defined as specific active treatment started or stopped eg surgery or chemo/radiotherapy. Results: A total of 269 scans were performed on 130/172 patients. One hundred and four initial staging CT scans were performed on 75 patients, and detected one (1.3%) occult melanoma metastasis. At follow-up, 165 scans were performed in 82 patients and detected 56 metastasis in 32(39%) patients leading to a change in management in 29(35%). Two of these 32 patients had occult melanoma metastasis. Symptomatic patients had statistically significant more metastatic disease diagnosed at follow-up CT scanning than asymptomatic patients p < 0.0001. Head CT detected 15/56 (27%) of all metastasis. Conclusion: CT scanning should only be performed in AJCC IIB and IIC melanoma patients if symptoms of clinical metastatic disease are present. Head CT should be included in the staging process. Our regional results concur with new BAD/BAPS 2010 guidelines. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Targeted therapies (TT) represent since 10 years, an interesting progress in oncology for many cancers in adjuvant, neoadjuvant or palliative situation. The development of this new class of drugs, with an original mechanism of action, their easy administration, mainly per os, and a particular toxicity profile different from “classical” chemotherapy (CT) leads them entering in the therapeutic arsenal of breast, digestive tract, lung and hematologic cancers, in association with CT. Medical oncologists took rapidly the train of TT, managing a new and original skin, digestive, cardiovascular, endocrine and pulmonary toxicity profile, that remains relatively less important than “classical” CT. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Peritoneal carcinomatosis is usually associated with a poor overall survival rate. Recently, introduction of more aggressive surgical treatment and intraperitoneal chemotherapy appears to significantly increase the overall survival rate for these patients. A detailed preoperative assessment of peritoneal carcinomatosis could be very challenging in the field of imaging, but a new aggressive surgical approach requires an accurate preoperative assessment of the disease. Cross-sectional imaging using CT and MRI with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) sequences is important for appropriate management of patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis. Appreciation of the spectrum of diagnostic patterns and pitfalls as well as different sites of involvement of peritoneal carcinomatosis using CT and DWI is crucial for appropriate surgical treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]