Publications by authors named "Bridgette Duggan"

Purpose: This study was designed to evaluate the use of a novel imaging technique, dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), for detecting mesenteric peritoneal metastases.

Methods: Thirty-four patients underwent preoperative conventional MRI, including T1, T2, diffusion-weighted (DWI), and delayed gadolinium MRI, as well as DCE MRI. DCE MRI involved imaging the peritoneal cavity every 9 s for 6 min.

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Clinical studies have demonstrated that circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are present in the blood of cancer patients with known metastatic disease across the major types of epithelial malignancies. Recent studies have shown that the concentration of CTCs in the blood is prognostic of overall survival in breast, prostate, colorectal, and non-small cell lung cancer. This study characterizes CTCs identified using the high-definition (HD)-CTC assay in an ovarian cancer patient with stage IIIC disease.

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Purpose: To compare retrospectively the use of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, laparotomy reassessment, and serum CA-125 values in predicting the presence of residual tumor in women who have been treated for ovarian cancer.

Materials And Methods: This study was approved by the institutional review board, and informed consent was waived. The study was compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

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Purpose: We sought to test the hypothesis that the presence of telomerase activity in peritoneal washings of patients treated for ovarian carcinoma is a sensitive and specific indicator of the presence of residual disease. We hypothesized that this test, if added to second-look procedure protocols, could help determine whether residual disease is present or not in patients who have completed their adjuvant chemotherapy for ovarian carcinoma.

Experimental Design: Peritoneal washings were obtained from 100 consecutive patients undergoing a second-look procedure after treatment for ovarian carcinoma (cases) and from 100 patients undergoing surgery for benign gynecological conditions (controls).

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