Quantitative F-FDG PET-CT can assess presence and extent of interstitial lung disease in early severe diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis.

Background: This study aimed to assess the quantitative uptake of F-FDG PET-CT in the lungs of patients with early severe diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (SSc) with and without interstitial lung disease (ILD), compared to controls. In patients with SSc-ILD, F-FDG uptake was correlated to high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) and pulmonary function test (PFT) parameters.

Methods: A prospective, cross-sectional study was conducted, involving 15 patients with SSc-ILD, 5 patients with SSc without ILD, and 7 controls without SSc.

Feasibility of Using F-FDG PET/CT Radiomics and Machine Learning to Detect Drug-Induced Interstitial Lung Disease.

Background: Bleomycin is an oncolytic and antibiotic agent used to treat various human cancers because of its antitumor activity. Unfortunately, up to 46% of the patients treated with bleomycin develop drug-induced interstitial lung disease (DIILD) and potentially life-threatening interstitial pulmonary fibrosis. Tools and biomarkers for predicting and detecting DIILD are limited.

Whole-Body HER2 Heterogeneity Identified on HER2 PET in HER2-Negative, -Low, and -Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer.

Understanding which patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative or -low metastatic breast cancer (MBC) benefit from HER2-targeted strategies is urgently needed. We assessed the whole-body heterogeneity of HER2 expression on Zr-trastuzumab PET (HER2 PET) and the diagnostic performance of HER2 PET in a large series of patients, including HER2-negative and -low MBC. In the IMPACT-MBC study, patients with newly diagnosed and nonrapidly progressive MBC of all subtypes were included.

International Benchmark for Total Metabolic Tumor Volume Measurement in Baseline F-FDG PET/CT of Lymphoma Patients: A Milestone Toward Clinical Implementation.

Total metabolic tumor volume (TMTV) is prognostic in lymphoma. However, cutoff values for risk stratification vary markedly, according to the tumor delineation method used. We aimed to create a standardized TMTV benchmark dataset allowing TMTV to be tested and applied as a reproducible biomarker.

Circulating T cell status and molecular imaging may predict clinical benefit of neoadjuvant PD-1 blockade in oral cancer.

Background: Addition of neoadjuvant immune checkpoint inhibition to standard-of-care interventions for locally advanced oral cancer could improve clinical outcome.

Methods: In this study, 16 evaluable patients with stage III/IV oral cancer were treated with one dose of 480 mg nivolumab 3 weeks prior to surgery. Primary objectives were safety, feasibility, and suitability of programmed death receptor ligand-1 positron emission tomography (PD-L1 PET) as a biomarker for response.

Exploring the predictive potential of programmed death ligand 1 expression in healthy organs and lymph nodes as measured by F-BMS986-192 PET: pooled analysis of data from four solid tumor types.

Introduction: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) can elicit anticancer immune responses, but predictive biomarkers are needed. We measured programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression in organs and lymph nodes using F-BMS-986192 positron emission tomography (PET)-imaging and looked for correlations with response and immune-related adverse events.

Methods: Four F-BMS-986192 PET studies in patients with melanoma, lung, pancreatic and oral cancer, receiving ICI treatment, were combined.

Ultra-low foetal radiation exposure in F-FDG PET/CT imaging with a long axial field-of-view PET/CT system.

Purpose: Long axial field-of-view (LAFOV) PET/CT systems enable PET/CT scans with reduced injected activities because of improved sensitivity. With this study, we aimed to examine the foetal radiation dose from an F-FDG PET/CT scan on a LAFOV PET/CT system with reduced injected activity.

Methods: Two pregnant women were retrospectively included and received an F-FDG PET/CT scan on a LAFOV PET/CT system with an intravenous bolus injection of 0.

Non-specific irreversible Zr-mAb uptake in tumours: evidence from biopsy-proven target-negative tumours using Zr-immuno-PET.

Background: Distribution of mAbs into tumour tissue may occur via different processes contributing differently to the Zr-mAb uptake on PET. Target-specific binding in tumours is of main interest; however, non-specific irreversible uptake may also be present, which influences quantification. The aim was to investigate the presence of non-specific irreversible uptake in tumour tissue using Patlak linearization on Zr-immuno-PET data of biopsy-proven target-negative tumours.

How to obtain the image-derived blood concentration from Zr-immuno-PET scans.

Background: PET scans using zirconium-89 labelled monoclonal antibodies (Zr-mAbs), known as Zr-immuno-PET, are made to measure uptake in tumour and organ tissue. Uptake is related to the supply of Zr-mAbs in the blood. Measuring activity concentrations in blood, however, requires invasive blood sampling.

Zr-Immuno-PET with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: Measuring Target Engagement in Healthy Organs.

Introduction: Zr-immuno-PET (positron emission tomography with zirconium-89-labeled monoclonal antibodies ([Zr]Zr-mAbs)) can be used to study the biodistribution of mAbs targeting the immune system. The measured uptake consists of target-specific and non-specific components, and it can be influenced by plasma availability of the tracer. To find evidence for target-specific uptake, i.

Mitigating SUV uncertainties using total body PET imaging.

Purpose: Standardised uptake values (SUV) are commonly used to quantify F-FDG lesion uptake. However, SUVs may suffer from several uncertainties and errors. Long-axial field-of-view (LAFOV) PET/CT systems might enable image-based quality control (QC) by deriving F-FDG activity and weight from total body (TB) F-FDG PET images.

Sensitivity of an AI method for [F]FDG PET/CT outcome prediction of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients to image reconstruction protocols.

Background: Convolutional neural networks (CNNs), applied to baseline [F]-FDG PET/CT maximum intensity projections (MIPs), show potential for treatment outcome prediction in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). The aim of this study is to investigate the robustness of CNN predictions to different image reconstruction protocols. Baseline [F]FDG PET/CT scans were collected from 20 DLBCL patients.

Prognostic model using 18F-FDG PET radiomics predicts progression-free survival in relapsed/refractory Hodgkin lymphoma.

Investigating prognostic factors in patients with relapsed or primary refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma (R/R cHL) is essential to optimize risk-adapted treatment strategies. We built a prognostic model using baseline quantitative 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (PET) radiomics features and clinical characteristics to predict the progression-free survival (PFS) among patients with R/R cHL treated with salvage chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation. Metabolic tumor volume and several novel radiomics dissemination features, representing interlesional differences in distance, volume, and standard uptake value, were extracted from the baseline PET.

Explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) in radiology and nuclear medicine: a literature review.

Rational: Deep learning (DL) has demonstrated a remarkable performance in diagnostic imaging for various diseases and modalities and therefore has a high potential to be used as a clinical tool. However, current practice shows low deployment of these algorithms in clinical practice, because DL algorithms lack transparency and trust due to their underlying black-box mechanism. For successful employment, explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) could be introduced to close the gap between the medical professionals and the DL algorithms.

Characterizing the Bone Marrow Environment in Advanced-Stage Myelofibrosis during Ruxolitinib Treatment Using PET/CT and MRI: A Pilot Study.

Current diagnostic criteria for myelofibrosis are largely based on bone marrow (BM) biopsy results. However, these have several limitations, including sampling errors. Explorative studies have indicated that imaging might form an alternative for the evaluation of disease activity, but the heterogeneity in BM abnormalities complicates the choice for the optimal technique.

Zr-immuno-PET using the anti-LAG-3 tracer [Zr]Zr-BI 754111: demonstrating target specific binding in NSCLC and HNSCC.

Purpose: Although lymphocyte activation gene-3 (LAG-3) directed therapies demonstrate promising clinical anti-cancer activity, only a subset of patients seems to benefit and predictive biomarkers are lacking. Here, we explored the potential use of the anti-LAG-3 antibody tracer [Zr]Zr-BI 754111 as a predictive imaging biomarker and investigated its target specific uptake as well as the correlation of its tumor uptake and the tumor immune infiltration.

Methods: Patients with head and neck (N = 2) or lung cancer (N = 4) were included in an imaging substudy of a phase 1 trial with BI 754091 (anti-PD-1) and BI 754111 (anti-LAG-3).

[F]Fluoride PET provides distinct information on disease activity in ankylosing spondylitis as compared to MRI and conventional radiography.

Purpose: To relate [F]fluoride uptake on PET with abnormalities on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and conventional radiography (CR) in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients.

Methods: Ten clinically active AS patients (female 6/10, age 38 ± 11 years) were included, and both spine and SI-joints were examined. PET scans were dichotomously scored for enhanced [F]fluoride uptake, MRI scans were scored for fatty lesions, erosions, ankylosis, and bone marrow edema (BME), and CR was scored for erosions, syndesmophytes, and ankylosis.

F-sodium fluoride PET-CT visualizes both axial and peripheral new bone formation in psoriatic arthritis patients.

Purpose: As bone formation is associated with psoriatic arthritis (PsA), positron emission tomography (PET) using a F-Fluoride tracer may enable sensitive detection of disease activity. Our primary aim was to determine the feasibility of whole-body F-sodium fluoride PET-CT in clinically active PsA patients to depict new bone formation (as a reflection of disease activity) at peripheral joints and entheses. Our secondary aim was to describe F-sodium fluoride findings in the axial skeleton.