Comparison of PET, CT, and dual-modality PET/CT imaging for monitoring of imatinib (STI571) therapy in patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors.

Unlabelled: This study was implemented to compare the value of PET, CT, and dual-modality PET/CT imaging for assessing gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) response to imatinib therapy.

Methods: Twenty patients with histologically proven GIST underwent (18)F-FDG PET/CT imaging before and 1, 3, and 6 mo after the start of imatinib therapy. Separate PET and CT datasets, side-by-side PET and CT datasets, and fused PET/CT images were evaluated according to World Health Organization, Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors, and European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer criteria for therapy response.

Effects of a combination of recombinant human growth hormone with metformin on glucose metabolism and body composition in patients with metabolic syndrome.

Abdominal obesity and insulin resistance are central findings in metabolic syndrome. Since treatment with recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) can reduce body fat mass in patients with organic GH deficiency, rhGH therapy may also have favourable effects on patients with metabolic syndrome. However, due to the highly increased risk for type 2 diabetes in these patients, strategies are needed to reduce the antagonistic effect of rhGH against insulin.