Small Multi-Gene DNA Panel Can Aid in Reducing the Surgical Resection Rate and Predicting the Malignancy Risk of Thyroid Nodules.

Backgruound: We explored the utility of a small multi-gene DNA panel for assessing molecular profiles of thyroid nodules and influencing clinical decisions by comparing outcomes between tested and untested nodules.

Methods: Between April 2022 and May 2023, we prospectively performed fine-needle aspiration (FNA) with gene testing via DNA panel of 11 genes (BRAF, RAS [NRAS, HRAS, KRAS], EZH1, DICER1, EIF1AX, PTEN, TP53, PIK3CA, TERT promoter) in 278 consecutive nodules (panel group). Propensity score-matching (1:1) was performed with 475 nodules that consecutively underwent FNA without gene testing between January 2021 and December 2021 (control group).

Comparison of Diagnostic Performance between Classic and Modified Abbreviated Breast MRI and the MRI Features Affecting Their Diagnostic Performance.

Abbreviated breast magnetic resonance imaging (AB-MRI) has emerged as a supplementary screening tool, though protocols have not been standardized. The purpose of this study was to compare the diagnostic performance of modified and classic AB-MRI and determine MRI features affecting their diagnostic performance. Classic AB-MRI included one pre- and two post-contrast T1-weighted imaging (T1WI) scans, while modified AB-MRI included a delayed post-contrast axial T1WI scan and an axial T2-weighted interpolated scan obtained between the second and third post-contrast T1WI scans.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Magnetic Resonance Imaging Features and Tumor-to-Nipple Distance for the Nipple-Areolar Complex Involvement of Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the accuracy of preoperative breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features and tumor-to-nipple distance (TND) for diagnosing occult nipple-areolar complex (NAC) involvement in breast cancer.

Materials And Methods: The MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane databases were searched for articles published until March 20, 2022, excluding studies of patients with clinically evident NAC involvement or those treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Study quality was assessed using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies 2 tool.

Development of a Breast Cancer Risk Prediction Model Incorporating Polygenic Risk Scores and Nongenetic Risk Factors for Korean Women.

Background: To develop a breast cancer prediction model for Korean women using published polygenic risk scores (PRS) combined with nongenetic risk factors (NGRF).

Methods: Thirteen PRS models generated from single or multiple combinations of the Asian and European PRSs were evaluated among 20,434 Korean women. The AUC and increase in OR per SD were compared for each PRS.

Interstitial Lung Abnormalities at CT in the Korean National Lung Cancer Screening Program: Prevalence and Deep Learning-based Texture Analysis.

Background Interstitial lung abnormalities (ILAs) are associated with worse clinical outcomes, but ILA with lung cancer screening CT has not been quantitatively assessed. Purpose To determine the prevalence of ILA at CT examinations from the Korean National Lung Cancer Screening Program and define an optimal lung area threshold for ILA detection with CT with use of deep learning-based texture analysis. Materials and Methods This retrospective study included participants who underwent chest CT between April 2017 and December 2020 at two medical centers participating in the Korean National Lung Cancer Screening Program.

Analysis of background echotexture on automated breast ultrasound using BI-RADS and modified classification: Association with clinical features and mammographic density.

Purpose: To analyze BE on ABUS using BI-RADS and a modified classification in association with mammographic density and clinical features.

Methods: Menopausal status, parity, and family history of breast cancer were collected for 496 women who underwent ABUS and mammography. Three radiologists independently reviewed all ABUS BE and mammographic density.

Prognosis and recurrence patterns in patients with early stage lung cancer: a multi-state model approach.

Background: We aimed to assess whether recurrence patterns affect survival and to use a multi-state model to predict the prognosis of early stage non-small cell lung cancer in patients who underwent surgical resection.

Methods: Patients with early stage non-small cell lung cancer who underwent surgical resection at two tertiary medical centers between 2010 and 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. A multi-state model was employed with one initial state (surgery), two intermediate states (locoregional recurrence, distant metastasis), and one absorbing state (death), comprising five transitions: surgery to locoregional recurrence, surgery to distant metastasis, surgery to death without recurrence, locoregional recurrence to death, and distant metastasis to death.

Radiologic-pathologic correlation of interstitial lung abnormalities and predictors for progression and survival.

Objectives: To evaluate radiologic and histologic correlations for interstitial lung abnormalities (ILAs) and to investigate radiologic or pathologic features contributing to disease progression and mortality.

Methods: From 268 patients who underwent surgical lung biopsy between January 2004 and April 2019, 45 patients with incidentally detected ILA and normal pulmonary function were retrospectively included. CT features were classified as subpleural fibrotic or non-fibrotic, and changes in ILA over at least 2 years of follow-up were evaluated.

The Value of the Illness-Death Model for Predicting Outcomes in Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Purpose: The illness-death model (IDM) is a comprehensive approach to evaluate the relationship between relapse and death. This study aimed to illustrate the value of the IDM for identifying risk factors and evaluating predictive probabilities for relapse and death in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in comparison with the disease-free survival (DFS) model.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 612 NSCLC patients who underwent a curative operation.

A genome-wide association study of quantitative computed tomographic emphysema in Korean populations.

Emphysema is an important feature of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Genetic factors likely affect emphysema pathogenesis, but this question has predominantly been studied in those of European ancestry. In this study, we sought to determine genetic components of emphysema severity and characterize the potential function of the associated loci in Korean population.

Generation-based study of airway remodeling in smokers with normal-looking CT with normalization to control inter-subject variability.

Purpose: With the help of quantitative computed tomography (QCT), it is possible to identify smoking-associated airway remodeling. However, there is currently little information on whether QCT-based airway metrics are sensitive to early airway wall remodeling in subclinical phases of smoking-associated airway disease. This study aimed to evaluate a predictive model that normalized airway parameters and investigate structural airway alterations in smokers with normal-looking CT using the normalization scheme.

Deep Learning for the Classification of Small (≤2 cm) Pulmonary Nodules on CT Imaging: A Preliminary Study.

Rationale And Objectives: We aimed to present a deep learning-based malignancy prediction model (CT-lungNET) that is simpler and faster to use in the diagnosis of small (≤2 cm) pulmonary nodules on nonenhanced chest CT and to preliminarily evaluate its performance and usefulness for human reviewers.

Materials And Methods: A total of 173 whole nonenhanced chest CT images containing 208 pulmonary nodules (94 malignant and 11 benign nodules) ranging in size from 5 mm to 20 mm were collected. Pathologically confirmed nodules or nodules that remained unchanged for more than 1 year were included, and 30 benign and 30 malignant nodules were randomly assigned into the test set.

Epigenome-Wide Association Analysis of Differentially Methylated Signals in Blood Samples of Patients with Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer.

Lung cancer is a common form of cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Early diagnosis using noninvasive biomarkers may play an important role in increasing the survival rate of patients with lung cancer. Biomarkers of DNA methylation in blood samples may improve the early diagnosis of lung cancer.

Dynamic contrast-enhanced and diffusion-weighted MRI of invasive breast cancer for the prediction of sentinel lymph node status.

Background: Although sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is the current standard for identifying lymph metastasis in breast cancer patients, there are complications of SLNB.

Purpose: To evaluate preoperative dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) of invasive breast cancer for predicting sentinel lymph node metastasis.

Study Type: Retrospective.

LI-RADS v2014 categorization of hepatocellular carcinoma: Intraindividual comparison between gadopentetate dimeglumine-enhanced MRI and gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI.

Objectives: To use Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS) categorization and features of hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) to intraindividually compare gadopentetate dimeglumine-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (Gd-DTPA-MRI) and gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI (Gd-EOB-MRI), before and after applying modified major features.

Methods: Of 77 HCCs in 64 patients analysed, 17 HCCs were confirmed histopathologically and 46 patients had cirrhosis. Gd-EOB-MRI and Gd-DTPA-MRI were evaluated for the presence of major and ancillary features by two radiologists.

Evaluation of an automated breast volume scanner according to the fifth edition of BI-RADS for breast ultrasound compared with hand-held ultrasound.

Objectives: To investigate the automated breast volume scanner (ABVS) in comparison with hand-held ultrasound (HHUS) according to the fifth edition of BI-RADS ultrasound.

Material And Methods: A total of 831 lesions in 786 patients who underwent both HHUS and ABVS were included. Three radiologists independently evaluated the sonographic features of each lesion according to the fifth BI-RADS edition.

Polymorphisms of miR-146a, miR-149, miR-196a2, and miR-499 are associated with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures in Korean postmenopausal women.

Genetic factors have been shown to be a small but significant predictor for osteoporosis and osteoporotic fracture risk. We performed a case-control association study to determine the association between miR-146a, miR-149, miR-196a2, and miR-499 polymorphisms and osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF) susceptibility. In total, 286 unrelated postmenopausal Korean women (57 with OVCFs, 55 with non-OVCFs, and 174 healthy controls) were recruited.

Dynamic contrast-enhanced breast magnetic resonance imaging for the prediction of early and late recurrences in breast cancer.

The aim of the study was to evaluate dynamic contrast-enhanced breast magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) features for the prediction of early and late recurrences in patients with breast cancer.Of 1030 breast cancer patients who underwent surgery at our hospital from January 2007 to July 2011, 83 recurrent breast cancer patients were enrolled in this study. We compared MRI features (background parenchymal enhancement [BPE], internal enhancement, adjacent vessel sign, whole-breast vascularity, initial enhancement pattern, kinetic curve types, and quantitative kinetic parameters) and clinico-pathologic variables (age, stage, histologic grade, nuclear grade, existence of lymphovascular invasion and extensive intraductal carcinoma component, and immunohistochemical profiles) between patients with early (≤2.

Differentiating Smoking-Related Interstitial Fibrosis (SRIF) from Usual Interstitial Pneumonia (UIP) with Emphysema Using CT Features Based on Pathologically Proven Cases.

Objective: To differentiate smoking-related interstitial fibrosis (SRIF) from usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) with emphysema on CT in combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema (CPFE) patients.

Materials And Methods: This study was approved by the institutional review board and informed consent was waived. We included 65 patients who underwent lung biopsy under the suspicion of UIP pattern on HRCT, and after radiologic-pathologic correlation, they were divided into three groups: UIP without emphysema (n = 30), UIP with emphysema (n = 26), and SRIF (n = 9).