Radioembolisation in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma that have previously received liver-directed therapies.

Purpose: Radioembolisation is part of the multimodal treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) at specialist liver centres. This study analysed the impact of prior treatment on tolerability and survival following radioembolisation.

Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of 325 consecutive patients with a confirmed diagnosis of HCC, who received radioembolisation with yttrium-90 resin microspheres at eight European centres between September 2003 and December 2009.

Significant increase in detection of prostate cancer recurrence following radical prostatectomy with an early imaging acquisition protocol with ¹⁸F-fluorocholine positron emission tomography/computed tomography.

Purpose: To highlight a new imaging acquisition protocol during (18)F-fluorocholine PET/CT in patients with biochemical recurrence after RP.

Methods: A total of 146 patients with PSA levels between 0.2 and 1 ng/ml with negative conventional imaging who did not receive salvage treatment were prospectively enrolled.

HF ultrasound vs PET-CT and telethermography in the diagnosis of In-transit metastases from melanoma: a prospective study and review of the literature.

Background: Over the past several years the incidence of cutaneous melanoma has rapidly increased. This tumor develops often in-transit metastases that significantly reduce patient survival at 5 years. To improve prognosis and quality of life in patients with melanoma metastases, a mini invasive procedure like electrochemotherapy (ECT) is adopted to remove superficial tissue lesions.

High-risk patients with differentiated thyroid cancer T4 primary tumors achieve remnant ablation equally well using rhTSH or thyroid hormone withdrawal.

Background: Few data exist on using thyrotropin alfa (recombinant human thyroid-stimulating hormone [rhTSH]) with radioiodine for thyroid remnant ablation of patients who have T4 primary tumors (invasion beyond the thyroid capsule).

Methods: A retrospective chart review protocol at nine centers in Europe was set up with special waiver of need for informed consent, along with a careful procedure to avoid selection bias when enrolling patients into the database. Data on 144 eligible patients with T4 tumors were collected (T4, N0-1, M0-1; mean age 49.

Prevalence, mass, and glucose-uptake activity of ¹⁸F-FDG-detected brown adipose tissue in humans living in a temperate zone of Italy.

Background: The ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose (¹⁸F-FDG)-detected brown adipose tissue (BAT), is enhanced by cold stimulus and modulated by other factors that still have to be disentangled. We investigated the prevalence, mass, and glucose-uptake activity of ¹⁸F-FDG-detected BAT in a population of adults living in the temperate climatic zone of the Rome area.

Methods And Findings: We retrospectively analyzed 6454 patients who underwent ¹⁸F-FDG positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) examinations.

Laparoscopic and robotic partial nephrectomy without renal ischaemia for tumours larger than 4 cm: perioperative and functional outcomes.

Purpose: To evaluate the technical feasibility, safety and functional outcomes of zero ischaemia laparoscopic and robotic partial nephrectomy with controlled hypotension for renal tumours larger than 4 cm.

Methods: We evaluated 121 consecutive patients with American Society of Anaesthesiologists (ASA) scores 1-2 who underwent laparoscopic (n = 70) or robotic (n = 51) partial nephrectomy with controlled hypotension with either tumour size ≤4 cm (group 1, n = 78) or tumour size >4 cm (group 2, n = 43) performed by a single surgeon from December 2010 to December 2011. Operative data, complications, serum creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rates and effective renal plasma flow calculated from 99mTc-mercaptoacetyltriglycine renal scintigraphy were compared.

Integration of radioembolisation into multimodal treatment of liver-dominant metastatic colorectal cancer.

Introduction: Radioembolisation (selective internal radiation therapy; SIRT), as part of a continuous strategy contributed to the improvement in response rates and median survival for unresectable metastatic colorectal cancer. Therefore, the role of SIRT in the different stages of treatment plan was investigated in this review.

Areas Covered: After a brief description of the principles of SIRT, the review focused on the clinical evidences of published trials on the current experience of radioembolisation and its role in both salvage setting and earlier lines of chemotherapy.

Survival after yttrium-90 resin microsphere radioembolization of hepatocellular carcinoma across Barcelona clinic liver cancer stages: a European evaluation.

Unlabelled: A multicenter analysis was conducted to evaluate the main prognostic factors driving survival after radioembolization using yttrium-90-labeled resin microspheres in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma at eight European centers. In total, 325 patients received a median activity of 1.6 GBq between September 2003 and December 2009, predominantly as whole-liver (45.

FCR (Fludarabine, Cyclophosphamide, Rituximab) regimen followed by 90Yttrium ibritumomab tiuxetan consolidation for the treatment of relapsed grades 1 and 2 follicular lymphoma: a report of 9 cases.

Background: This retrospective analysis is focused on the efficacy and safety of radioimmunotherapy (RIT) with Zevalin® in nine patients with recurrent follicular lymphoma (FL) who were treated in a consolidation setting after having achieved complete remission or partial remission with FCR.

Methods: The median age was 63 yrs (range 46-77), all patients were relapsed with histologically confirmed CD20-positive (grade 1 or 2) FL, at relapse they received FCR every 28 days: F (25 mg/m2x 3 days), C (1 gr/m2 day 1) and R (375 mg/m2 day 4) for 4 cycles. Who achieved at least a partial remission, with < 25% bone marrow involvement, was treated with 90Yttrium Ibritumomab Tiuxetan 11.

Efficacy and toxicity related to treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma with 90Y-SIR spheres: radiobiologic considerations.

Unlabelled: Radioactive (90)Y-selective internal radiation (SIR) sphere therapy is increasingly used for the treatment of nonresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the maximum delivered dose is limited by severe injury to the nontarget tissue, including liver parenchyma. Our study aimed to implement radiobiologic models for both tumor control probability (TCP) and normal-tissue complication probability (NTCP) to describe more effectively local response and the liver toxicity rate, respectively.

Liposomal doxorubicin with and without TNFalpha in the perfusional treatment of advanced soft tissue limb sarcoma: preliminary results.

Background: A combination of doxorubicin and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) has been proven to be very effective in the perfusional treatment of advanced soft tissue limb sarcoma both in terms of tumor necrosis and limb conservative surgery rate. Unfortunately, in some patients a grade IV limb reaction has been recorded. The key solution might be the use of liposomal doxorubicin (Caelyx) because the carrier seems to release the drug preferentially in the tumor rather than in the healthy tissue.

Biological optimization of heterogeneous dose distributions in systemic radiotherapy.

The standard computational method developed for internal radiation dosimetry is the MIRD (medical internal radiation dose) formalism, based on the assumption that tumor control is given by uniform dose and activity distributions. In modern systemic radiotherapy, however, the need for full 3D dose calculations that take into account the heterogeneous distribution of activity in the patient is now understood. When information on nonuniform distribution of activity becomes available from functional imaging, a more patient specific 3D dosimetry can be performed.