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Autologous anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is an effective treatment for approximately 40% of relapsed/refractory large B cell lymphomas (LBCL), and early identification of patients at risk for relapse or progression after CAR T-cell therapy represents a clinical need.The authors conducted a single-center prospective study on 47 relapsed/refractory LBCL receiving CAR T-cell therapy to evaluate the prognostic value of baseline and after infusionDeep variation of standardized uptake value (SUV)PET parameters and association of DS and variation of SUVThis is a single-center prospective study on 47 lymphoma patients receiving commercial chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of baseline and after infusion

AIM: to examine the role of FDG PET/CT for assessing response to immunotherapy in patients with solid tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: data recorded in a multicenter (n=17), retrospective database between March and November 2021 were analyzed. The sample included patients with a confirmed diagnosis of a solid tumor who underwent serial FDG PET/CT (before and after one or more cycles of immunotherapy), who were >18 years of age, and had a follow-up of at least 12 months after their first PET/CT scan. Patients enrolled in clinical trials or without a confirmed diagnosis of cancer were excluded. The authors classified cases as having a complete or partial metabolic response to immunotherapy, or stable or progressive metabolic disease, based on a visual and semiquantitative analysis according to the EORTC criteria. Clinical response to immunotherapy was assessed at much the same time points as the serial PET images, and the two were compared. RESULTS: The study concerned 311 patients (median age: 67; range: 31-89 years) in all. The most common neoplasm was lung cancer (n=177, 56.9%), followed by malignant melanoma (n=101, 32.5%). Nivolumab was administered in 144 of the former patients (46.3%), and pembrolizumab in 126 of the latter (40.5%). Baseline PET and a first PET scan performed a median 3 months after starting immunotherapy were available for all 311 patients, while subsequent PET scans were obtained after a median 6, 12, 16, and 21 months for 199 (64%), 102 (33%), 46 (15%), and 23 (7%) patients, respectively. Clinical response to therapy was recorded at around the same time points after starting immunotherapy for 252 (81%), 173 (56%), 85 (27%), 40 (13%), and 22 (7%) patients, respectively. At successive time points, the consistency between PET scans and clinical findings was 37%, 54%, 26%, 37%, and 29%, respectively. After a median 18 (1-137) months, 113 (36.3%) patients had died. On Kaplan-Meier analysis, metabolic responders on two or more PET scans after starting immunotherapy had a better prognosis than non-responders (all pCONCLUSIONS: FDG PET/CT should have a role in the assessment of response to immunotherapy in patients with solid tumors. It can provide prognostic information and thus contribute to a patient’s appropriate treatment.

By adapting previously reported reaction conditions, [18 F]FMISO was synthesized using a TracerLab FX-FDG module in 31 min from no carrier added [18 F]fluoride in 56% radiochemical yield. A novel and simple purification setup based on disposable cartridges was developed allowing the radiopharmaceutical to be obtained in high radiochemical purity (>99.5%) and with chemical impurities far below the Ph.Eur.'s thresholds. Moreover, the study pinpointed some shortcomings of the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method reported in the dedicated Ph.Eur's monograph.

Purpose: To evaluate local control and longitudinal endocrine data in monorchid patients treated with testicular-sparing surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) for seminomatous germ-cell tumors. Methods: We searched our database established in 2009 for patients with seminoma who received testis irradiation following partial orchiectomy up to 2018. Eleven patients were identified. All had associated germ cell neoplasia in situ (GCNIS) in surrounding parenchyma. Analysis focused on local control and testosterone levels preservation after RT. We considered age, baseline (pre-RT) testosterone and luteinizing hormone (LH) levels, residual testicular volume, tumor size, and testosterone and LH levels trend over time in order to identify any association with endocrine impairment leading to hormonal replacement need. Results: After a median follow-up of 21 months, no local or distant relapses were observed and hormonal function was maintained in 54.5% of patients (6/11). No significant interactions were observed for the investigated covariates. Notably, we observed an association between higher baseline testosterone levels and a decreased risk of exogenous androgen replacement (hazard ratio [HR] 0.409, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.161–1.039, p = 0.060), whereas tumor size was associated with an increased risk of exogenous androgen replacement (HR 1.847, 95% CI 0.940–3.627, p = 0.075). Conclusions: Radiotherapy after testicular sparing surgery is effective in preventing local disease relapse in presence of GCNIS in the medium term. This strategy allows a preservation of adequate endocrine function in about half of patients. More patients and longer follow-up are needed to confirm these findings.

In recent years, machine learning algorithms have led to innovative tools for medical imaging analysis. The purpose of the present review was to summarize the literature on the developing field of deep learning (DL), particularly the application of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) in PET/CT and PET/MR. We performed the literature search, referring to “convolutional neural networks” and “positron emission tomography” on PubMed/MEDLINE, for potentially relevant articles published up until July 24th, 2020. After the screening process, 63 articles were finally included; these embraced both the technical (n = 23) and the clinical field (n = 40). Technical studies aimed at investigating the role of CNN-based methods for image quality improvement (n = 11) and on technical issues (n = 12), mainly attenuation correction. Clinical studies explored CNN applications in oncology lung cancer (n = 7), head and neck cancer (n = 4), esophageal cancer (n = 2), lymphoma (n = 3), prostate cancer (N = 4), cervical cancer (n = 1), sarcomas (n = 1), multiple cancer types (n = 4), in neurology (n = 10) and cardiology (n = 1); three additional studies belonged to “other” category. In oncology, the studies aimed at detection, diagnosis, and prognostication of cancer. In neurology, the majority of the studies aimed at diagnosing Alzheimer Disease and stratification of the risk. CNN-based algorithms demonstrated promising results with performances equal or even higher compared to conventional approaches. Overall, CNN applications for PET/CT and PET/MR are exponentially growing, demonstrating encouraging results for both technical and clinical purposes. Novel research strategies emerged to face the challenges of DL algorithms development. Education and confidence with DL-based tools are needed for proper technology implementation.

Primary hypothyroidism commonly occurs after radiotherapy (RT), and coincides with increased circulating thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels.We tested therefore the protective effect of suppressing TSH with L-thyroxine during RT for medulloblastoma/PNET and Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) in a prospective cohort study. From1998 to 2001, a total of 37 euthyroid children with medulloblastoma/PNET plus 14 with HL, scheduled for craniospinal irradiation and mediastinum/neck radiotherapy, respectively, underwent thyroid ultrasound and free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxine (FT4), and TSH evaluation at the beginning and end of craniospinal iiradiation. From 14 days before and up to the end of radiotherapy, patients were administered L-thyroxine checking every 3 days TSH to ensure a value < 0.3 μIU/mL. During follow-up, blood tests and ultrasound were repeated; primary hypothyroidism was considered an increased TSH level greater than normal range. Twenty-two/37 patients with medulloblastoma/PNET and all the 14 patients with HL were alive after a median 231 months from radiotherapy with 7/22 and 8/14 having correctly reached TSH levels < 0.3 μIU/mL and well matched for other variables. Twenty years on, hypothyroidism-free survival rates differed significantly, being 60% ± 15% and 15.6% ± 8.2% in TSH-suppressed vs. not-TSH suppressed patients, respectively (P = 0.001). These findings suggest that hypothyroidism could be durably prevented in two populations at risk of late RT sequelae, but it should be confirmed in a larger cohort.

Introduction: Therapeutic decision-making in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) represents an open challenge. Radium-223 is approved for patients with symptomatic bone metastases, no visceral involvement, progressing after at least 2 lines of systemic therapy, or ineligible for any other systemic treatment. Methods: We performed a retrospective, observational study on patients with mCRPC treated with radium-223 at our institution outside of clinical trials, to assess the safety and activity in a real-world population. Data regarding baseline patient/disease characteristics and treatment outcomes (number of cycles, treatment-related adverse events [AEs], cause of discontinuation, and best response) were collected. Results: Overall, 41 patients were treated from September 2015 to September 2018. Median age was 73 years; baseline Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (ECOG PS) was 0, 1, or 2 in 15%, 80%, and 5% of cases, respectively; and 3%, 41%, 44%, and 12% of patients had 20, and superscan bone lesions, respectively. A median number of 5 cycles (interquartile range 3–6) with median dose 19.52 MBq (interquartile range 12.87–24.83) was received. Treatment schedule was completed in 49% of cases; discontinuations due to AEs, disease-related death, or disease progression occurred in 24%, 33%, and 43% of patients, respectively. Any-grade AEs occurred in 73% and grade 3/4 treatment-related AEs occurred in 29% of patients, mainly anemia, decreased platelet count, and fatigue. No skeletal-related events or treatment-related deaths were recorded. After treatment, 66%, 2%, and 32% of patients had a stable, improved, or deteriorated ECOG PS versus baseline, respectively, and 24%, 61%, and 15% reported a stable, improved, or worsened pain symptom control. Post-treatment versus baseline alkaline phosphatase was reduced or stable in 46% and increased in 54% of patients, whereas prostate-specific antigen was decreased or stable in 83% and increased in 17% of patients. Conclusions: Our study provides clinically useful real-world data on radium-223, highlighting the importance of multidisciplinary patient management to guarantee the best continuum of care for patients with mCRPC.

In this confirmatory study, we tested if a calculation that included the non-uniformity of dose deposition through a voxel-based dosimetric variable Ψ was able to improve the dose–response agreement with respect to the mean absorbed dose D. We performed dosimetry with 99mTc-MAA SPECT/CT and 90Y-PET/CT in 86 patients treated 8 instead of 4 days after the reference date with 2.8 times more 90Y glass microspheres/GBq than in our previous study. The lesion-by-lesion response was assessed with the mRECIST method and with an experimental densitometric criterion. A total of 106 lesions were studied. Considering Ψ as a prognostic response marker, having no Ψ provided a significantly higher AUC than D. The correlation, t-test, and AUC values were statistically significant only with the densitometric method and only with post-therapy dosimetry. In comparison with our previous study, the dose–response correlation and AUC values were poorer (maximum r = 0.43, R2 = 0.14, maximal AUC = 0.71), and the efficacy at a high dose did not reach 100%. The expected advantages of voxel dosimetry were nullified by the correlation between any Ψ and D due to the limited image spatial resolution. The lower AUC and efficacy may be explained by the mega-clustering effect triggered by the higher number of microspheres/GBq injected on day 8.

In this confirmatory study, we tested if a calculation that included the non-uniformity of dose deposition through a voxel-based dosimetric variable

By adapting previously reported reaction conditions, [

To give an updated overview on clinical aspects and survival effects of lutetium-177-prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) (PubMed/MEDLINE database was searched for relevant articles published up to March 2021. The search was restricted to English-language articles.Current evidence from the literature consistently demonstrated the efficacy, safety, and survival benefit of

Differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) accounts for 95% of all thyroid cancers and is generally an indolent tumor, tending to present with limited loco-regional disease with an excellent long-term survival after treatment. However, 5–10% present with locally advanced disease and aero-digestive tract invasion or distant metastases that are the main cause of thyroid cancer-related deaths. The present review aims to underline the complex management of advanced DTC including treatment of gross extra-thyroidal extension, recurrent loco-regional, or distant metastatic disease. Radioiodine therapy is an effective treatment of advanced and/or metastatic DTC which contributes significantly to patients’ life expectancy. Multimodal approach based on surgical resection in combination with radioiodine therapy, interventional imaging treatment, and TSH suppression can significantly improve outcomes for this patients’ population.

Nella maggior parte dei casi l’incidentaloma surrenalico e un adenoma corticale non secernente, ma talvolta puo rappresentare un tumore maligno primitivo o metastatico. Quando il riscontro di incidentaloma avviene durante un’indagine PET/CT con 18F-FDG, la caratterizzazione metabolica della massa surrenalica permette, con elevata sensibilita e specificita, di distinguere le lesioni benigne da quelle maligne. In altri casi, l’integrazione con altre metodiche di imaging TC e/o RMN si rende necessaria. La valutazione iniziale dovrebbe comunque includere indagini ormonali per l’identificazione di lesioni iperfunzionanti.

Aim: Data from 69 well-differentiated gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors treated with peptide receptor radionucleotide therapy + somatostatin analogs (SSAs) after SSA treatment failure were evaluated. Methods: We identified two groups: S1 – patients who kept the same SSA treatment beyond progression; S2 – patients who switched the SSA with another SSA after progression. Results: Median progression-free survival was 53 and 127 months in S1 and S2, respectively (p = 0.001; hazard ratio: 0.31; 95% CI: 0.15–0.63). Median overall survival was 69 versus 150 months in S1 and S2, respectively (p = 0.004; hazard ratio: 0.32; 95% CI: 0.14–0.71). Conclusion: In patients with advanced well-differentiated gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors treated with peptide receptor radionucleotide therapy plus SSA after SSA failure, the ‘switch’ strategy of SSA after progression improve progression-free survival and overall survival.

Introduction O-(2-[18F]Fluoroethyl)-L-tyrosine ([18F]FET) is an established radiotracer used for oncology investigations by Positron Emission Tomography (PET). Main limitations to its widespread use are the synthesis itself (time; cost; radiochemical yield; complexity) and a troublesome and time-consuming HPLC purification. Aim of this work was to improve the preparation overall efficiency and, most important, to achieve an efficient and reliable purification by means of disposable cartridges. Methods [18F]FET was synthesized by direct nucleophilic radiofluorination of O-(2-tosyloxy-ethyl)-N-trityl-L-tyrosine t-butylester (TET) followed by acid hydrolysis with HCl. Several conditions and materials were tested for the synthesis and purification step. For the latter, a number of different commercial cartridges, varying in amount, particulate size and adsorbent, were examined. Best results were obtained by a combination of STRATA-X, tC18 and QMA cartridges. Results Starting from only 5 mg of TET, up to 11 GBq of injectable solutions of [18F]FET were produced within 36 min with 54–65% radiochemical yields and radiochemical purities >99%. No D-form was observed by chiral HPLC. Chemical purity was 1–2 order of magnitude below the limits imposed by the European Pharmacopoeia's monograph on [18F]FET. A radiochemical purity decrease by radiolysis, observed only on relatively large batches of [18F]FET, was efficiently suppressed by preloading in the receiving final vial a small amount of ethanol ( Conclusions By combining improvements to a known synthetic route with a novel cartridge-based purification, [18F]FET was obtained in a very efficient and reproducible way. The whole process was easily implemented on a commercial automated module presently used for [18F]FDG production. Advances in knowledge and implications for patient care A few drawbacks regarding the HPLC conditions recommended in the European Pharmacopoeia were highlighted. An alternative method able to cope with them is herein proposed The simplified preparation herein described is expected to encourage a more widespread clinical use of [18F]FET.

Purpose To assess the presence and pattern of incidental interstitial lung alterations suspicious of COVID-19 on fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) ([18F]FDG PET/CT) in asymptomatic oncological patients during the period of active COVID-19 in a country with high prevalence of the virus. Methods This is a multi-center retrospective observational study involving 59 Italian centers. We retrospectively reviewed the prevalence of interstitial pneumonia detected during the COVID period (between March 16 and 27, 2020) and compared to a pre-COVID period (January–February 2020) and a control time (in 2019). The diagnosis of interstitial pneumonia was done considering lung alterations of CT of PET. Results Overall, [18F]FDG PET/CT was performed on 4008 patients in the COVID period, 19,267 in the pre-COVID period, and 5513 in the control period. The rate of interstitial pneumonia suspicious for COVID-19 was significantly higher during the COVID period (7.1%) compared with that found in the pre-COVID (5.35%) and control periods (5.15%) (p

Many treatment approaches are now available for neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs). While several societies have issued guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of NENs, there are still areas of controversy for which there is limited guidance. Expert opinion can thus be of support where firm recommendations are lacking. A group of experts met to formulate 14 statements relative to diagnosis and treatment of NENs and presented herein. The nominal group and estimate-talk-estimate techniques were used. The statements covered a broad range of topics from tools for diagnosis to follow-up, evaluation of response, treatment efficacy, therapeutic sequence, and watchful waiting. Initial prognostic characterization should be based on clinical information as well as histopathological analysis and morphological and functional imaging. It is also crucial to optimize RLT for patients with a NEN starting from accurate characterization of the patient and disease. Follow-up should be patient/tumor tailored with a shared plan about timing and type of imaging procedures to use to avoid safety issues. It is also stressed that patient-reported outcomes should receive greater attention, and that a multidisciplinary approach should be mandatory. Due to the clinical heterogeneity and relative lack of definitive evidence for NENs, personalization of diagnostic–therapeutic work-up is crucial.

Simple Summary Nongerminomatous germ cell tumors of the central nervous system are rare tumours. Differently from germinomas, they have a severe prognosis above all when presenting with high alfafetoprotein levels. We report the results of a combined chemo- and radiotherapy approach in 28 patients affected by this disease with craniospinal irradiation and a boost tailored on the response to pre-radiant chemotherapy. Metastatic patients and high-risk disease are discussed as well. The 5 years overall survival and event-free survival were both 81% while at 10 years they were 81% and 76% respectively. Our series, even if small, concerns nongerminomatous germ cell tumors only (whereas in some papers they are mixed with pure germinomas), furthermore our patients had a very long follow-up (over 11 years) with encouraging survival data for localized and metastatic disease. Improving survival while trying to contain/avoid the long-term sequelae of chemotherapy and radiotherapy are the main goals of future studies. Abstract Introduction: Due to the rarity of nongerminomatous germ cell tumors (NGGCT) with non-standard treatment as yet, we report retrospectively our 30 year experience with chemotherapy followed by craniospinal irradiation (CSI), plus a boost of whole ventricular irradiation (WVI)/tumor bed (TB), tailored to pre-radiation chemotherapy response. Methods: Between 1988 and 2016, 28 patients received four cycles of PEB (cisplatin/etoposide/bleomycin), then CSI, and two further PEB cycles. Between 1988 and1994, CSI was 25.5 Gy for patients in complete remission (CR), 30 Gy if in partial remission (PR) or metastatic, with a boost to TB up to 45–54 Gy. In the period of 1995–2010, the boost included WVI and any extra-ventricular tumor sites up to 45 Gy. After 2010, CSI was reduced to 25.5 Gy for all non-metastatic patients, and a boost was given only to TB up to 40.5/45.5 Gy, depending on patients’ CR/PR status. After 2003, patients with alfafetoprotein (αFP) > 1000 ng/mL received intensified treatment, also including autologous stem cell transplantation. Results: Among 28 patients (23 males; median age 12 years, 6 metastatic), 25 responded to PEB, and three progressed (PD) after one to four cycles; 26 received radiotherapy obtaining 13 CR, 7 PR and 5 stable disease (SD), 1 PD; 6 (21%) died (5 for disease, 1 for pneumonia while in CR). Five-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were both 81%; 10 year OS and PFS 81% and 76%, respectively (median follow-up 11 years). Conclusions: Survival for children with NGGCT, independently from disease extent, was encouraging. Further studies should elucidate which patients could benefit from reduced volume and dose irradiation.

Background According to published data, radiomics features differ between lesions of refractory/relapsing HL patients from those of long-term responders. However, several methodological aspects have not been elucidated yet. Purpose The study aimed at setting up a methodological framework in radiomics applications in Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HL), especially at (a) developing a novel feature selection approach, (b) evaluating radiomic intra-patient lesions’ similarity, and (c) classifying relapsing refractory (R/R) vs non-(R/R) patients. Methods We retrospectively included 85 patients (male:female = 52:33; median age 35 years, range 19–74). LIFEx (www.lifexsoft.org) was used for [18F]FDG-PET/CT segmentation and feature extraction. Features were a-priori selected if they were highly correlated or uncorrelated to the volume. Principal component analysis-transformed features were used to build the fingerprints that were tested to assess lesions’ similarity, using the silhouette. For intra-patient similarity analysis, we used patients having multiple lesions only. To classify patients as non-R/R and R/R, the fingerprint considering one single lesion (fingerprint_One) and all lesions (fingerprint_All) was tested using Random Undersampling Boosting of Tree Ensemble (RUBTE). Results HL fingerprints included up to 15 features. Intra-patient lesion similarity analysis resulted in mean/median silhouette values below 0.5 (low similarity especially in the non-R/R group). In the test set, the fingerprint_One classification accuracy was 62% (78% sensitivity and 53% specificity); the classification by RUBTE using fingerprint_All resulted in 82% accuracy (70% sensitivity and 88% specificity). Conclusions Lesion similarity analysis was developed, and it allowed to demonstrate that HL lesions were not homogeneous within patients in terms of radiomics signature. Therefore, a random target lesion selection should not be adopted for radiomics applications. Moreover, the classifier to predict R/R vs non-R/R performed the best when all the lesions were used.

Radium-223, a calcium mimetic bone-seeking radionuclide that selectively targets bone metastases with alpha particles, is approved for the treatment of men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) and symptomatic bone metastases. In patients with mCRPC, treatment with radium-223 has been associated with survival benefit, regardless of prior docetaxel use, and also has a positive impact on symptomatic skeletal events and quality of life. Radium-223 is best suited for patients with symptomatic mCRPC and bone-predominant disease and no visceral metastases, and may lead to better outcomes when given early in the course of the disease. An expert multidisciplinary panel convened in Milan, Italy to review the current best-evidence literature on radium-223 and to convey their personal expertise with the use of radium-223 and identify possible strategies for best practice. This article summarizes the best available evidence for the use of radium-223, discusses the essential role of the multidisciplinary team in delivering effective treatment for mCRPC, clarifies pre- and post-treatment evaluation and monitoring, and outlines future scenarios for radium-223 in the treatment of men with MCRPC.

Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy is an effective, well-tolerated, treatment for well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors, resulting in a significant survival benefit and improvement of quality of life. Very few data are available on peptide receptor radionuclide therapy effectiveness in grade 3 neuroendocrine carcinomas with high somatostatin receptor expression. We report the case of a 70-year-old woman with metastatic pancreatic grade 3 neuroendocrine carcinoma who underwent 6 cycles of tandem treatment with investigational radiopharmaceuticals Y-DOTATOC and Lu-DOTATOC achieving an impressive response.

Tetrabutylammonium is a phase-transfer agent commonly used in PET radiochemistry. Its toxicity makes its quantification mandatory. However, the official HPLC method for tetrabutylammonium analysis reported in the European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.) apparently fails to achieve the described separation in most new generation reverse-phase columns. The study highlights the differences in separation achievable by varying some of the chromatographic conditions, such as temperature, eluent composition and ion-pairing agent concentration. In the end, variations to the method within the limits allowed by the Ph. Eur. were not sufficient to overcome the problem, thus forcing to a more radical change of the organic component of the mobile phase.

Benign thyroid nodules are a common clinical occurrence and usually do not require treatment unless symptomatic. During the last years, ultrasound-guided minimally invasive treatments (MIT) gained an increasing role in the management of nodules causing local symptoms. In February 2018, the Italian MIT Thyroid Group was founded to create a permanent cooperation between Italian and international physicians dedicated to clinical research and assistance on MIT for thyroid nodules. The group drafted this list of statements based on literature review and consensus opinion of interdisciplinary experts to facilitate the diffusion and the appropriate use of MIT of thyroid nodules in clinical practice. (#1) Predominantly cystic/cystic symptomatic nodules should first undergo US-guided aspiration; ethanol injection should be performed if relapsing (level of evidence [LoE]: ethanol is superior to simple aspiration = 2); (#2) In symptomatic cystic nodules, thermal ablation is an option when symptoms persist after ethanol ablation (LoE = 4); (#3) Double cytological benignity confirmation is needed before thermal ablation (LoE = 2); (#4) Single cytological sample is adequate in ultrasound low risk (EU-TIRADS ≤3) and in autonomously functioning nodules (LoE = 2); (#5) Thermal ablation may be proposed as first-line treatment for solid, symptomatic, nonfunctioning, benign nodules (LoE = 2); (#6) Thermal ablation may be used for dominant lesions in nonfunctioning multinodular goiter in patients refusing/not eligible for surgery (LoE = 5); (#7) Clinical and ultrasound follow-up is appropriate after thermal ablation (LoE = 2); (#8) Nodule re-treatment can be considered when symptoms relapse or partially resolve (LoE = 2); (#9) In case of nodule regrowth, a new cytological assessment is suggested before second ablation (LoE = 5); (#10) Thermal ablation is an option for autonomously functioning nodules in patients refusing/not eligible for radioiodine or surgery (LoE = 2); (#11) Small autonomously functioning nodules can be treated with thermal ablation when thyroid tissue sparing is a priority and ≥80% nodule volume ablation is expected (LoE = 3).

In the last two decades, the demand for a personalized therapeutic approach has been constantly increasing, mainly due to the need to develop ever more effective therapeutic regimens, to improve outcome, and to avoid unnecessary treatments. Theranostics is an invaluable tool in personalized medicine; it is a treatment strategy in which the same (or very similar) agents are used for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Particularly, theranostics is based on the integration of a diagnostic test and a specific treatment and it relies on the idea of selecting patients through a diagnostic study that could detect whether a patient will benefit from a certain therapy or not. After a brief historical review a critical update on theranostics will be provided in this chapter.

4112 Background: As demonstrated in the primary analysis of the phase 3 NETTER-1 trial, 177Lu-DOTATATE significantly prolonged progression-free survival (PFS) versus high-dose long-acting octreotide, with a HR of 0.18 (95% CI: 0.11, 0.29; p < 0.0001), in patients with advanced, progressive, well-differentiated, somatostatin receptor-positive midgut neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). Here we report final overall survival (OS) for NETTER-1. Methods: In this international open-label trial, eligible patients were randomized to receive either four cycles of 177Lu-DOTATATE 7.4 GBq (200 mCi) every 8 ± 1 weeks plus long-acting octreotide 30 mg or high-dose long-acting octreotide 60 mg every 4 weeks (control arm), both on top of best supportive care. After disease progression on randomized treatment or completion of an 18-month treatment period, patients in both arms entered long-term follow-up and could receive further anti-cancer treatment as recommended by their physicians. The primary endpoint was PFS per RECIST 1.1 and OS was a key secondary endpoint. Primary intention-to-treat analysis of OS was prespecified to take place after 158 deaths or 5 years after the last patient was randomized, whichever occurred first. Results: Of 231 randomized patients, 101/117 (86.3%) in the 177Lu-DOTATATE arm and 99/114 (86.8%) in the control arm entered long-term follow-up. Final analysis occurred 5 years after the last patient was randomized, following 142 deaths, with a median follow-up of more than 76 months. During long-term follow-up, 41/114 (36%) of patients in the control arm received subsequent radioligand therapy (“cross-over”), the majority (22.8%) within 24 months. Median OS was 48.0 months (95% CI: 37.4, 55.2) in the 177Lu-DOTATATE arm and 36.3 months (95% CI: 25.9, 51.7) in the control arm. HR was 0.84 (95% CI: 0.60, 1.17) with p = 0.30 (unstratified 2-sided log-rank test). A total of 2/112 (1.8%) 177Lu-DOTATATE treated patients in the study developed myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). No new cases of MDS or acute leukemia were reported in the long-term follow-up. Overall, no new safety signals emerged during long-term follow-up. Conclusions: Median OS was 48.0 months in the 177Lu-DOTATATE arm of the NETTER-1 trial and 36.3 months in the control arm. This difference was not statistically significant, potentially impacted by a high rate (36%) of cross-over of patients in the control arm to radioligand therapy after progression. In overall conclusion, the NETTER-1 study demonstrated that 177Lu-DOTATATE yielded a clinically and statistically significant improvement in PFS as a primary endpoint (HR: 0.18, p < 0.0001) as well as a clinically meaningful trend towards improvement in median OS of 11.7 months. No new safety signals emerged during the 5-year long-term follow-up. Clinical trial information: NCT01578239.

// Emanuela Minna 1 , Paola Romeo 1 , Matteo Dugo 2 , Loris De Cecco 2 , Katia Todoerti 3 , Silvana Pilotti 4 , Federica Perrone 4 , Ettore Seregni 5 , Luca Agnelli 6 , Antonino Neri 6, 7 , Angela Greco 1 , Maria Grazia Borrello 1 1 Department of Experimental Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Molecular Mechanisms Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy 2 Department of Experimental Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Functional Genomics Core Facility, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy 3 Laboratory of Pre-Clinical and Translational Research, IRCCS-CROB, Referral Cancer Center of Basilicata, Rionero in Vulture (PZ), Italy 4 Department of Pathology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy 5 Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Radiotherapy, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy 6 Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy 7 Hematology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy Correspondence to: Maria Grazia Borrello, e-mail: mariagrazia.borrello@istitutotumori.mi.it Keywords: papillary thyroid carcinoma, miR-451a, miRNA, RET/PTC, AKT pathway Received: December 18, 2015 Accepted: January 26, 2016 Published: February 8, 2016 ABSTRACT Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma (PTC) is the most frequent thyroid cancer. Although several PTC-specific miRNA profiles have been reported, only few upregulated miRNAs are broadly recognized, while less consistent data are available about downregulated miRNAs. In this study we investigated miRNA deregulation in PTC by miRNA microarray, analysis of a public dataset from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), literature review and meta-analysis based on a univocal miRNA identifier derived from miRBase v21. A list of 18 miRNAs differentially expressed between PTC and normal thyroid was identified and validated in the TCGA dataset. Furthermore, we compared our signature with miRNA profiles derived from 15 studies selected from literature. Then, to select possibly functionally relevant miRNA, we integrated our miRNA signature with those from two in vitro cell models based on the PTC-driving oncogene RET/PTC1. Through this strategy, we identified commonly deregulated miRNAs, including miR-451a, which emerged also by our meta-analysis as the most frequently reported downregulated miRNA. We showed that lower expression of miR-451a correlates with aggressive clinical-pathological features of PTC as tall cell variant, advanced stage and extrathyroid extension. In addition, we demonstrated that ectopic expression of miR-451a impairs proliferation and migration of two PTC-derived cell lines, reduces the protein levels of its recognized targets MIF, c-MYC and AKT1 and attenuates AKT/mTOR pathway activation. Overall, our study provide both an updated overview of miRNA deregulation in PTC and the first functional evidence that miR-451a exerts tumor suppressor functions in this neoplasia.

445 Background: FDG-PET/CT has limited utility in clinical N0 (cN0) patients (pts) with MIBC who receive neoadjuvant chemotherapy and RC or RC alone (Dason, AUA19). Methods: In PURE-01 (NCT02736266), 3 courses of 200 mg pembrolizumab, q3 weeks, were administered prior to RC. Pts were assessed with thorax-abdomen CT scan and with PET/CT scan during screening and before RC. Imaging review and analysis was internally performed. For each pt with lymph node (LN) increased uptake in abdomino-pelvic area, the SUVmax and the short-axis size of the most intense LN were recorded. All pts underwent extended pelvic LN dissection (LND) with packeted node submission. Results: From 02/17 to 06/2019, 103 total evaluable pts (206 PET/TC scans) were enrolled ad treated. Six pts (5.8%) had LN uptake at baseline PET/CT: mean SUVmax=2.75; mean short axis: 6.2 mm. Eight pts (7.8%) had LN uptake at PET/CT post-pembrolizumab: mean SUVmax=4.21; mean short axis: 7.2mm. The rate of pathologic LN positive (pN+) disease was 15.5% (16 pts). The performance of post-pembrolizumab PET/CT in predicting pN+ disease is indicated in the Table. In total, 4/6 pts (66.7%) with baseline FDG uptake revealed as pN+ vs 12/97 (12.4%) with no baseline FDG uptakes (p=0.005). A total of 39 pts (37.9%) developed inflammatory FDG-uptakes post-pembrolizumab in several target organs/regions: top 5 sites were thyroid (N=21, 61.8%), stomach and mediastinum (13 pts each, 12.6%), lung (N=10, 9.7%), other lymph nodes (N=4, 3.9%). These changes were clinically evident (signs/symptoms or laboratory changes) in 15 pts (38.5%). Conclusions: Criteria for eligibility of cN0 pts to single-agent neoadjuvant pembrolizumab trials may be enhanced with PET/CT use. Three cycles of pembrolizumab determined profound inflammatory changes, whose long-term impact on safety is still to be determined. Clinical trial information: NCT02736266 . [Table: see text]

Thyroid nodules are a common clinical problem, and differentiated thyroid cancer is becoming increasingly prevalent. Six scientific Italian societies entitled to cure thyroid cancer patients (the Italian Thyroid Association, the Medical Endocrinology Association, the Italian Society of Endocrinology, the Italian Association of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, the Italian Society of Unified Endocrine Surgery and the Italian Society of Anatomic Pathology and Diagnostic Cytology) felt the need to develop a consensus report based on significant scientific advances occurred in the field. The document includes recommendations regarding initial evaluation of thyroid nodules, clinical and ultrasound criteria for fine-needle aspiration biopsy, initial management of thyroid cancer including staging and risk assessment, surgical management, radioiodine remnant ablation, and levothyroxine therapy, short-term and long-term follow-up strategies, and management of recurrent and metastatic disease. The objective of this consensus is to inform clinicians, patients, researchers, and health policy makers about the best strategies (and their limitations) relating to the diagnosis and treatment of differentiated thyroid cancer.

Differentiated thyroid cancers are typically iodine-avid and can be effectively treated with radioiodine. In most patients, radioactive iodine therapy (RAI) is done for ablation of residual tissue or with adjuvant intent in case of suspected persistent disease after surgery. Patient with advanced or metastatic disease may also benefit from RAI. In this chapter, we will discuss the current role of 131I-iodide therapy, including patient’s selection and preparation, and the importance of individual response to therapy to guide subsequent patient management.