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Introduction: Lenvatinib plus an anti-PD-1 antibody has shown promising antitumor effects in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but with clinical benefit limited to a subset of patients. We developed and validated a radiomic-based model to predict objective response to this combination therapy in advanced HCC patients. Methods: Patients (N = 170) who received first-line combination therapy with lenvatinib plus an anti-PD-1 antibody were retrospectively enrolled from 9 Chinese centers; 124 and 46 into the training and validation cohorts, respectively. Radiomic features were extracted from pretreatment contrast-enhanced MRI. After feature selection, clinicopathologic, radiomic, and clinicopathologic-radiomic models were built using a neural network. The performance of models, incremental predictive value of radiomic features compared with clinicopathologic features and relationship between radiomic features and survivals were assessed. Results: The clinicopathologic model modestly predicted objective response with an AUC of 0.748 (95% CI: 0.656–0.840) and 0.702 (95% CI: 0.547–0.884) in the training and validation cohorts, respectively. The radiomic model predicted response with an AUC of 0.886 (95% CI: 0.815–0.957) and 0.820 (95% CI: 0.648–0.984), respectively, with good calibration and clinical utility. The incremental predictive value of radiomic features to clinicopathologic features was confirmed with a net reclassification index of 47.9% (p < 0.001) and 41.5% (p = 0.025) in the training and validation cohorts, respectively. Furthermore, radiomic features were associated with overall survival and progression-free survival both in the training and validation cohorts, but modified albumin-bilirubin grade and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio were not. Conclusion: Radiomic features extracted from pretreatment MRI can predict individualized objective response to combination therapy with lenvatinib plus an anti-PD-1 antibody in patients with unresectable or advanced HCC, provide incremental predictive value over clinicopathologic features, and are associated with overall survival and progression-free survival after initiation of this combination regimen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore the feasibility of volume perfusion CT imaging to dynamically monitor and evaluate the response of rabbit VX2 soft-tissue tumor to antiangiogenic treatment., Methods: To establish an experimental animal model of VX2 soft tissue tumor on 20 New Zealand white rabbits. Twenty rabbits were randomly divided into 2 groups. The therapy group was treated with recombinant human endostatin (3 mg·kg⁻¹·d⁻¹) for 7 days, and the control group received saline in the same dose only. Four times of CT volume perfusion scan were performed before treatment and on the second, forth, seventh days of treatment, respectively. The value of blood flow (BF), blood volume (BV), mean transit time (MTT), and permeability (PMB) in the VX2 tumors were measured after scanning. The microvessel density (MVD) and expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the tumors were determined using immunohistochemical staining., Results: The tumor volume of the therapy group was (1.36 ± 0.73) cm³ on the forth day of treatment and (1.69 ± 0.68) cm³ on the seventh day of the treatment. The tumor volume of the control group was (2.35 ± 0.62) cm³ on the fourth day of treatment and (3.87 ± 0.93) cm³ on the seventh day of the treatment (P < 0.05). On the seventh day of treatment, tumor necrosis ratio of the therapy group and the control group was (25.58 ± 5.51)% and (42.93 ± 4.34)%, respectively (P < 0.05). Comparing the perfusion parameters between the two groups on the same day, and the second, forth, seventh days of treatment, the value of PMB of the therapy group was (70.36 ± 23.46) ml·100 ml⁻¹·min⁻¹, (79.64 ± 13.68) ml·100 ml⁻¹·min⁻¹ and (84.76 ± 3.55) ml·100 ml⁻¹·min⁻¹, respectively, and that in the control group was (26.61 ± 6.47) ml·100 ml⁻¹·min⁻¹, (33.74 ± 16.47) ml·100 ml⁻¹·min⁻¹ and (30.47 ± 10.64) ml·100 ml⁻¹·min⁻¹, respectively (P < 0.05). The value of BF in the therapy group and control group was (71.19 ± 12.21) ml·100 ml⁻¹·min⁻¹ and (43.56 ± 12.21) ml·100 ml⁻¹·min⁻¹, respectively, on the seventh day of treatment (P < 0.05). The parameters on different days in the same group were compared. In the control group, the value of BF on the seventh day of treatment was significantly lower than that before and on the second and forth days of treatment (P < 0.05). However, in the therapy group, the value of PMB on the second, forth, and seventh days of treatment was significantly higher than that before treatment (P < 0.05). MVD of tumor in the control group was increased gradually, whereas increased on the first day and then decreased more in the therapy group. The VEGF expressions did not differ significantly between the experimental and control groups., Conclusions: Volume perfusion CT is helpful to quantify the tumor perfusion and evaluate the functional changes of tumor vasculature, and then evaluate the early therapeutic effect of antiangiogenic treatment.

Objective: To prepare magnetic resonance (MR) molecular probe for somatostain receptor expressed on breast cancer cell membranes and investigate its physico-chemical properties and imaging features in vitro., Methods: Molecular probe was prepared through superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) conjugated to somatostatin analog-octreotide (OCT) using chemical method. Its features at different Fe(2+) concentrations were tested by MTT assay and Prussian blue staining respectively. Molecular probes at different Fe(2+) concentration and various numbers of cells labeled with the probe at Fe(2+) concentrations of 20 mg/L were scanned with 1.5 Tesla MR. Resovist was used in control group when labeling cells., Results: Various blue-staining particles were found in the cytoplasms of labeled cells with the molecular probes at different concentrations after Prussion blue staining and there were more particles with the increase of Fe(2+) concentration. The label rate of the probe was 96.15% which was higher than that in control group (80.00%). The bioactivity had no difference between labeled and non-labeled cells (P>0.05). There was remarkable low signal intensity on T(2)-weighed imaging and no evident artifacts for molecular probe when the concentration of Fe(2+) was 20 mg/L. The least number of labeled cells detected by MR in vitro was 6 x 10(6) when the concentration of Fe(2+) was 20 mg/L., Conclusion: Molecular probe, SPIO-OCT, can effectively label breast cells which express SSTR. The reasonable Fe(2+) concentration of labeled cells and imaging was 20 mg/L. There is a correlation between MR signal intensity in vitro and the number of labeled cells.