[ F]-FDG PET radiomic model as prognostic biomarker in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

To evaluate the association between radiomic features (RFs) extracted from F-FDG PET/CT ( F-FDG-PET) with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in diffuse large-B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients eligible to first-line chemotherapy. DLBCL patients who underwent F-FDG-PET prior to first-line chemotherapy were retrospectively analyzed. RFs were extracted from the lesion showing the highest uptake.

First Live-Experience Session with PET/CT Specimen Imager: A Pilot Analysis in Prostate Cancer and Neuroendocrine Tumor.

Objective: to evaluate the feasibility of the intra-operative application of a specimen PET/CT imager in a clinical setting.

Materials And Methods: this is a pilot analysis performed in three patients who received an intra-operative administration of Ga-PSMA-11 (n = 2) and Ga-DOTA-TOC (n = 1), respectively. Patients were administrated with PET radiopharmaceuticals to perform radio-guided surgery with a beta-probe detector during radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer (PCa) and salvage lymphadenectomy for recurrent neuroendocrine tumor (NET) of the ileum, respectively.

[F]FDG PET/CT: Lung Nodule Evaluation in Patients Affected by Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC) is generally characterized by low-FDG avidity, and [F]FDG-PET/CT is not recommended to stage the primary tumor. However, its role to assess metastases is still unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of [F]FDG-PET/CT in correctly identifying RCC lung metastases using histology as the standard of truth.

Predictors of positive axillary non-sentinel lymph nodes in breast cancer patients with positive sentinel lymph node biopsy after neoadjuvant systemic therapy.

Aim: To assess the rate of positive non-sentinel lymph nodes (non-SLNs) after neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NAST) in breast cancer (BC) following positive sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB).

Materials And Methods: From institutional database, 265 consecutive patients receiving NAST for cT1-3, any N, M0 BC between 2001 and 2018 were identified. Patients presented clinically negative axilla before surgery and were candidate for SLNB.

From the Magic Bullet to Theragnostics: Certitudes and Hypotheses, Trying to Optimize the Somatostatin Model.

The first "theragnostic model", that of radioiodine, was first applied both in diagnosis and therapy in the 1940s. Since then, many other theragnostic models have been introduced into clinical practice. To bring about the closest pharmacokinetic connection, the radiocompound used for diagnosis and therapy should be the same, although at present this is rarely applicable.

F-FDG PET/CT in asymptomatic patients with COVID-19: the submerged iceberg surfaces.

Objective: The aim of this case series is to describe our experience in diagnosis and management of oncological asymptomatic patients with COVID-19 who underwent F-FDG PET/CT.

Methods: From March 9 to March 31, 2020, we identified 5 patients who had PET/CT findings suspicious for COVID-19, but no symptom of infection.

Results: The first three patients were administered an SARS-CoV-2 test in a COVID-dedicated center, while the fourth and fifth were tested in our institution, in accordance with a new internal procedure.

Role of interim F-FDG-PET/CT for the early prediction of clinical outcomes of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) during radiotherapy or chemo-radiotherapy. A systematic review.

Background: Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) is characterized by aggressiveness and includes the majority of thorax malignancies. The possibility of early stratification of patients as responsive and non-responsive to radiotherapy with a non-invasive method is extremely appealing. The distribution of the Fluorodeoxyglucose (F-FDG) in tumours, provided by Positron-Emission-Tomography (PET) images, has been proved to be useful to assess the initial staging of the disease, recurrence, and response to chemotherapy and chemo-radiotherapy (CRT).

Interim FDG PET/CT during radiochemotherapy in the management of pelvic malignancies: A systematic review.

F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT (F-FDG-PET/CT) is widely applied in oncology for disease staging, assessment of therapy response, relapse diagnosis, follow-up and target volume delineation. In particular, it can detect early response during chemoradiotherapy (interim) because functional modifications usually precede morphological ones. This ability is crucial to the radiation oncologist for the management of patients, to avoid persisting with ineffective therapy - often leading toxicity - and to shift to potentially more effective alternatives.

PET/CT with Fluorodeoxyglucose During Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy in Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer.

Objective: The aim of the present study is to evaluate the accuracy of Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (PET/CT) with Fluorodeoxyglucose ([18F]FDG) to predict treatment response in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) during neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy.

Patients And Methods: Forty-one LARC patients performed [18F]FDG-PET/CT at baseline (PET0). All patients received continuous capecitabine concomitant to radiotherapy on the pelvis, followed by intermittent capecitabine until two weeks before curative surgery.

Combining standardized uptake value of FDG-PET and apparent diffusion coefficient of DW-MRI improves risk stratification in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Objectives: To assess the independent prognostic value of standardized uptake value (SUV) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), separately and combined, in order to evaluate if the combination of these two variables allows further prognostic stratification of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC).

Methods: Pretreatment SUV and ADC were calculated in 57 patients with HNSCC. Mean follow-up was 21.

Positron emission tomography in the diagnostic work-up of screening-detected lung nodules.

Low-dose computed tomography (CT) screening for lung cancer can reduce lung cancer mortality, but overdiagnosis, false positives and invasive procedures for benign nodules are worrying. We evaluated the utility of positron emission tomography (PET)-CT in characterising indeterminate screening-detected lung nodules. 383 nodules, examined by PET-CT over the first 6 years of the COSMOS (Continuous Observation of Smoking Subjects) study to diagnose primary lung cancer, were reviewed and compared with pathological findings (surgically-treated patients) or follow-up (negative CT for ⩾2 years, considered negative); 196 nodules were malignant.

The role of [(18)F]FDG-PET/CT in staging and treatment planning for volumetric modulated Rapidarc radiotherapy in cervical cancer: experience of the European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy.

Rationale: to evaluate the role of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography ([(18)F]FDG-PET) integrated with computer tomography (CT) scan [(18)F]FDG-PET/CT in the staging and target volume definition in Intensity Modulated RapidarcTM Delivery (RA-IMRT) in cervical cancer.

Methods: From June 2010 to December 2011, 66 patients affected by cervical cancer, candidates for definitive or adjuvant radiochemotherapy, underwent standard staging with CT and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). All patients underwent [(18)F]FDG-PET/CT in order to exclude distant metastases and to define gross tumor volume (GTV).

Intramedullary spinal cord metastases from breast cancer: detection with (18)F-FDG PET/CT.

A 35-year-old woman, already treated with surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy for a ductal carcinoma of the left breast, underwent an (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography ((18)F-FDG PET/CT) scan for an increase of the serum markers carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and cancer antigen 15.3 (CA15.3).

Ipilimumab-induced immunomediated adverse events: possible pitfalls in (18)F-FDG PET/CT interpretation.

A 42-year-old woman underwent resection of a high-risk melanoma of the right thigh. Adjuvant treatment with ipilimumab was then started within a phase III randomised, double-blind clinical trial. F-FDG PET/CT scan showed intense uptake in mediastinal hilar lymph nodes, bilaterally, and in rectus abdominis muscle.

Extrapulmonary malignancies detected at lung cancer screening.

Purpose: To retrospectively assess the detection rate, histologic characteristics, and clinical stage of screening-detected extrapulmonary malignancies in a population at high risk for lung cancer.

Materials And Methods: In this institutional review board-approved study, 5201 asymptomatic heavy smokers aged 50 years or older underwent annual low-dose computed tomography (CT) for 5 consecutive years. The 5-year cumulative effective dose was 5 mSv.

A multiple points method for 4D CT image sorting.

Purpose: Artifacts affect 4D CT images due to breathing irregularities or incorrect breathing phase identification. The purpose of this study is the reduction of artifacts in sorted 4D CT images. The assumption is that the use of multiple respiratory related signals may reduce uncertainties and increase robustness in breathing phase identification.

Screening-detected lung cancers: is systematic nodal dissection always essential?

Background: To address whether systematic lymph node dissection is always necessary in early lung cancer, we identified factors predicting nodal involvement in a screening series and applied them to nonscreening-detected cancers.

Methods: In the 97 patients with clinical T1-2N0M0 lung cancer (<3 cm), enrolled in the Continuous Observation of Smoking Subjects computed tomography (CT) screening study, who underwent curative resection with radical mediastinal lymph node dissection, we examined factors associated with hilar extrapulmonary and mediastinal nodal involvement. Nodule size plus positive/negative positron emission tomography (PET)-CT (usually as maximum standard uptake value [maxSUV]) were subsequently evaluated retrospectively for their ability to predict nodal involvement in 193 consecutive patients with nonscreening-detected clinical stage I lung cancer.

Lymph node involvement in T1 non-small-cell lung cancer: could glucose uptake and maximal diameter be predictive criteria?

Objective: The introduction of modern staging systems such as computed tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography/CT (PET/CT) with fluorodeoxyglucose ([(18)F]FDG) has increased the detection of small peripheral lung cancers at an early stage. We analyzed the behavior of pathological T1 non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to identify criteria predictive of nodal involvement, and the role of cancer size in lymph node metastases.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 219 patients with pathological T1 NSCLC.

Radio-guided ultrasound lymph node localization: feasibility of a new technique for localizing and excising nonpalpable lymph nodes ultrasound suspicious for melanoma metastases.

Identification of lymph nodes suspicious for metastases is crucial in melanoma patients during the follow-up. We propose a procedure called radio-guided ultrasound lymph node localization (RULL) for melanoma patients with ultrasound (US) suspicious, not palpable, lymph nodes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of this technique, and to assess the efficacy of this new method.

Sentinel node detection by lymphoscintigraphy and sentinel lymph node biopsy in vulvar melanoma.

Purpose: Vulvar melanoma is a rare malignant tumour. Its surgical excision is the mainstay of treatment whilst the surgical management of regional lymph nodes remains controversial; on the contrary elective inguinofemoral lymphadenectomy causes considerable morbidity. Lymphoscintigraphy (LS) and sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) are accurate staging procedures of lymph node status in breast cancer and cutaneous melanoma patients.

Imaging as a surveillance tool in rectal cancer.

Despite advances in diagnosis and treatment, half of patients with treated rectal cancer will die owing to recurrent disease. There is no evidence of benefit on survival from an intensive surveillance program, even if presymptomatic recurrent disease is detected. The aim of this article is to review the results described for the different imaging techniques in diagnosing rectal cancer recurrence in different sites and to discuss their relative clinical impact.

Modification of lymphoscintigraphic sentinel node identification before and after excisional biopsy of primary cutaneous melanoma.

The aim of this study was to determine whether excision biopsy and primary closure of primary cutaneous melanoma modifies lymphatic drainage and accuracy of sentinel node biopsy. Thirty patients with 31 cutaneous melanomas were prospectively enrolled to undergo lymphoscintigraphy (LS) before and after excision biopsy. Tc-human serum albumin nanocolloid was first injected intradermally around the primary tumor and subsequently, after excision biopsy, adjacent to the scar.

[18F]FDG positron emission tomography/computed tomography and multidetector computed tomography roles in thymic lesion treatment planning.

Rationale: Thymic masses may represent an unsolved diagnostic problem which often require surgical procedures for an accurate staging. A non-invasive way to determine the nature of thymic lesions would help identify the patients which are true candidates for surgery. Our retrospective study aims to assess multidetector computed tomography and 2-[(18)F]fluoro-2-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography ([(18)F]FDG-PET/CT) capacity to distinguish benign from malignant thymic lesions.

Role of [18F]FDG-PET/CT after radiofrequency ablation of liver metastases: preliminary results.

Purpose: Focal metastasis may be treated with radiofrequency ablation (RFA), a low invasive method yet limited by the lack of direct evidence of radicality of treatment. We, hereby, aimed at assessing the role of positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET/CT) with fluoride radiolabeled deoxy-glucose ([(18)F]FDG) in RFA treatment success evaluation and early diagnosis of local relapse of liver metastasis after RFA procedure.

Methods: RFA was performed in nine patients on 12 liver metastasis, serially imaged through [(18)F]FDG-PET/CT and multidetector CT (MDCT) at 1, 3, 6, and 9 months after treatment.