Regional chemotherapy for unresectable intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: a potential role for dynamic magnetic resonance imaging as an imaging biomarker and a survival update from two prospective clinical trials.

Background: For patients with unresectable intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC), treatment options are limited and survival is poor. This study summarizes the long-term outcome of two previously reported clinical trials using hepatic arterial infusion (HAI) with floxuridine and dexamethasone (with or without bevacizumab) in advanced ICC.

Methods: Prospectively collected clinicopathologic and survival data were retrospectively reviewed.

Multiparametric prostate MR imaging with T2-weighted, diffusion-weighted, and dynamic contrast-enhanced sequences: are all pulse sequences necessary to detect locally recurrent prostate cancer after radiation therapy?

Purpose: To compare diagnostic accuracy of T2-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) imaging with that of multiparametric (MP) MR imaging combining T2-weighted imaging with diffusion-weighted (DW) MR imaging, dynamic contrast material-enhanced (DCE) MR imaging, or both in the detection of locally recurrent prostate cancer (PCa) after radiation therapy (RT).

Materials And Methods: This retrospective HIPAA-compliant study was approved by the institutional review board; informed consent was waived. Fifty-three men (median age, 70 years) suspected of having post-RT recurrence of PCa underwent MP MR imaging, including DW and DCE sequences, within 6 months after biopsy.

NMR imaging of cell phone radiation absorption in brain tissue.

A method is described for measuring absorbed electromagnetic energy radiated from cell phone antennae into ex vivo brain tissue. NMR images the 3D thermal dynamics inside ex vivo bovine brain tissue and equivalent gel under exposure to power and irradiation time-varying radio frequency (RF) fields. The absorbed RF energy in brain tissue converts into Joule heat and affects the nuclear magnetic shielding and the Larmor precession.

Treating primary liver cancer with hepatic arterial infusion of floxuridine and dexamethasone: does the addition of systemic bevacizumab improve results?

Objectives: This study investigated the efficacy and safety of adding systemic (IV) bevacizumab (Bev) to hepatic arterial infusion (HAI) with floxuridine (FUDR)/dexamethasone (Dex) in unresectable primary liver cancer.

Methods: Patients with unresectable intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were treated with HAI FUDR/Dex plus IV Bev. Results were compared to a recent study of HAI without Bev in a similar patient population.

Incremental value of diffusion weighted and dynamic contrast enhanced MRI in the detection of locally recurrent prostate cancer after radiation treatment: preliminary results.

Objectives: To assess the incremental value of diffusion-weighted (DW-MRI) and dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) to T2-weighted MRI (T2WI) in detecting locally recurrent prostate cancer after radiotherapy.

Methods: Twenty-four patients (median age, 70 years) with a history of radiotherapy-treated prostate cancer underwent multi-parametric MRI (MP-MRI) and transrectal prostate biopsy. Two readers independently scored the likelihood of cancer on a 1-5 scale, using T2WI alone and then adding DW-MRI and DCE-MRI.

Antiangiogenic therapy for primary liver cancer: correlation of changes in dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging with tissue hypoxia markers and clinical response.

Background: This study utilized the imaging data of primary liver cancer (PLC) treated with floxuridine (FUDR) and bevacizumab to test the hypothesis that dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) parameters correlate with tissue hypoxia markers and treatment outcome.

Methods: Seventeen patients with PLC were treated with hepatic artery infusional (HAI) FUDR for 14 days followed by systemic bevacizumab therapy. DCE-MRI images were obtained at baseline and after HAI FUDR and bevacizumab therapy.

Comparison between diffusion-weighted imaging, T2-weighted, and postcontrast T1-weighted imaging after MR-guided, high intensity, focused ultrasound treatment of uterine leiomyomata: preliminary results.

Purpose: To investigate the comparison between diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), T2-weighted imaging, (T2WI) and contrast T1-weighted imaging (cT1WI) in uterine leiomyoma following treatment by magnetic resonance imaging-guided, high intensity focused ultrasound surgery (MRg-HIFUS).

Methods: Twenty one patients (45 +/- 5 yrs) with clinical symptoms of uterine leiomyoma (fibroids) were treated by MRg-HIFUS using an integrated 1.5T MRI-HIFUS system.

Phase I study of intravenous vascular endothelial growth factor trap, aflibercept, in patients with advanced solid tumors.

Purpose: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) Trap (aflibercept) is an angiogenesis inhibitor comprising portions of the extracellular domains of human VEGF receptors 1 and 2 fused to the Fc portion of human immunoglobulin G. This phase I study was designed to evaluate the safety, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of VEGF Trap administered intravenously (IV) every 2 weeks.

Patients And Methods: Patients with refractory solid tumors or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma with adequate organ function were eligible.

Effects of radiation on the NMR relaxation effects of aqueous solutions of gadolinium contrast agents.

We investigate the effects of radiation on aqueous solutions of two common MRI contrast agents based on paramagnetic gadolinium chelates. Aqueous solutions of Gd-DTPA (gadolinium diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid) and Gd-HP-DO3A (gadoteridol), as well as Gd-DTPA in the presence of concentrations of several common metabolites (N-acetylaspartate, Choline, Creatine and myo-inositol) typical of conditions in vivo, were irradiated at dose levels up to 30 Gy using a 6 MV linear accelerator and imaged using a 1.5 T MRI system.

Measurement of heat transfer coefficients by nuclear magnetic resonance.

We demonstrate an experimental method for the measurement of heat transfer coefficient for a fluid system by magnetic resonance imaging. In this method, the temporal variation of thermally induced nuclear shielding is monitored and the average heat transfer coefficient is measured as a function of fluid velocity. We examine the cases of natural convection and forced convection at fluid velocity up to 0.

Measurement of thermal diffusivity by magnetic resonance imaging.

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) may be used for monitoring temperature changes within samples based on measurements of relaxation times, the diffusion coefficient of liquids, proton resonance frequency or phase shifts. Such methods may be extended to the explicit measurement of the thermal diffusivity of materials by NMR imaging. A method based on measuring nuclear spin phase shifts or changes in the equilibrium nuclear magnetization has been developed for measuring transient thermal diffusion effects and thermal diffusivity with potential applications in NMR thermotherapy and materials science.

Temperature dependence of nuclear magnetization and relaxation.

The temperature dependences of nuclear magnetization and relaxation rates are reviewed theoretically and experimentally in order to quantify the effects of temperature on NMR signals acquired by common imaging techniques. Using common sequences, the temperature dependences of the equilibrium nuclear magnetization and relaxation times must each be considered to fully understand the effects of temperature on NMR images. The temperature dependence of the equilibrium nuclear magnetization is negative because of Boltzmann's distribution for all substances at all temperatures, but the combined temperature dependences of the equilibrium magnetization and relaxation can be negative, weak or positive depending on the temperature (T), echo time (T(E)), repetition time (T(R)), and the temperature dependences of the relaxation times T(1)(T) and T(2)(T) in a pulse sequence.