Borderline Findings in -(2-[F]-Fluoroethyl)-l-Tyrosine PET of Patients with Suspected Glioma Relapse: Role in Clinical Practice.

One of the most common clinical indications for amino acid PET using the tracer -(2-[F]-fluoroethyl)-l-tyrosine (F-FET) is the differentiation of tumor relapse from treatment-related changes in patients with gliomas. A subset of patients may present with an uptake of F-FET close to recommended threshold values. The goal of this study was to investigate the frequency of borderline cases and the role of quantitative F-FET PET parameters in this situation.

Longitudinal Psychological Distress After Malignant Brain Tumor Diagnosis: A Multilevel Analysis of Patients and Their Caregivers.

Objective: Malignant brain tumors are associated with debilitating symptoms and a poor prognosis, resulting in high psychological distress for patients and caregivers. There is a lack of longitudinal studies investigating psychological distress in this group. This study evaluated fear of progression (FoP), anxiety and depression in patients and their caregivers in the 6 months following malignant brain tumor diagnosis.

Influence of neuropathological diagnosis on psychooncological distress in neurooncological patients - a retrospective cross-sectional analysis.

Background: Gliomas, the most common primary brain tumours, are classified based on histology and molecular genetics. Glioblastomas (GBM) are highly aggressive and are graded as WHO grade 4, while astrocytoma and oligodendrogliomas fall under WHO grades 2-3 (4). Gliomas affect 6 per 100,000 people, with a higher incidence in men.

Flow cytometry identifies changes in peripheral and intrathecal lymphocyte patterns in CNS autoimmune disorders and primary CNS malignancies.

Background: Immune dysregulation is a hallmark of autoimmune diseases of the central nervous system (CNS), characterized by an excessive immune response, and primary CNS tumors (pCNS-tumors) showing a highly immunosuppressive parenchymal microenvironment.

Methods: Aiming to provide novel insights into the pathogenesis of CNS autoimmunity and cerebral tumor immunity, we analyzed the peripheral blood (PB) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of 81 autoimmune limbic encephalitis (ALE), 148 relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), 33 IDH-wildtype glioma, 9 primary diffuse large B cell lymphoma of the CNS (CNS-DLBCL), and 110 controls by flow cytometry (FC). Additionally, an in-depth immunophenotyping of the PB from an independent cohort of 20 RRMS and 18 IDH-wildtype glioblastoma patients compared to 19 controls was performed by FC combined with unsupervised computational approaches.

Development and Validation of the Questionnaire of Young People's Participation-Young Adults (QYPP-YA).

Background: The Questionnaire of Young People's Participation (QYPP) was developed for use in children and adolescents. To track participation throughout transition from childhood to adulthood, we adapted it for young adults using focus groups. Aim of this study was to validate this measure, the QYPP-Young Adults (QYPP-YA).

Development of Quality Indicators to Evaluate the Quality of Care for People with Differences of Sex Development.

Introduction: Achieving evidence-based, high-quality medical care is the overarching goal of healthcare quality management. Quality indicators (QIs) serve as proxies to show whether good quality is reached or not. This article describes the development of QI for the evaluation of healthcare quality in the area of differences of sex development (DSD).

A clinically compatible in vitro drug-screening platform identifies therapeutic vulnerabilities in primary cultures of brain metastases.

Purpose: Brain metastases represent the most common intracranial tumors in adults and are associated with a poor prognosis. We used a personalized in vitro drug screening approach to characterize individual therapeutic vulnerabilities in brain metastases.

Methods: Short-term cultures of cancer cells isolated from brain metastasis patients were molecularly characterized using next-generation sequencing and functionally evaluated using high-throughput in vitro drug screening to characterize pharmacological treatment sensitivities.

Satisfaction with health care services in young people with cerebral palsy in the transition period: results from a European multicenter study.

Background: Young people with chronic health conditions and disabilities rely on the healthcare system to maintain their best possible health. The appropriate delivery and utilization of healthcare services are key to improve their autonomy, self-efficacy and employment outcomes. The research question of our study is directed toward investigating if poor availability and accessibility of healthcare services in general, as identified by unmet needs in healthcare, are associated with dissatisfaction with healthcare.

Combined use of 3D printing and mixed reality technology for neurosurgical training: getting ready for brain surgery.

Objective: Learning surgical skills is an essential part of neurosurgical training. Ideally, these skills are acquired to a sufficient extent in an ex vivo setting. The authors previously described an in vitro brain tumor model, consisting of a cadaveric animal brain injected with fluorescent agar-agar, for acquiring a wide range of basic neuro-oncological skills.

Feasibility of intraoperative neuromonitoring and cortical/subcortical mapping in patients with cerebral lesions of highly functional localizations-pathway to case adapted monitoring and mapping procedures.

Background: Intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) and mapping procedures direct cortical stimulation (DCS) are required for resection of eloquently located cerebral lesions. In our neurooncological department, mapping and monitoring are used either combined or separately for surgery of functional lesions. The study aims to provide a practical insight into strengths and pitfalls of intraoperative neuromonitoring and mapping in supratentorial functionally located infiltrating lesions.

Functional Outcome and Overall Survival in Patients with Primary or Secondary CNS Lymphoma after Surgical Resection vs. Biopsy.

Background: Central nervous system lymphoma (CNSL) is rare form of brain tumour. It manifests either as primary CNS lymphoma (pCNSL) originating within the central nervous system or as secondary CNS lymphoma (sCNSL), arising as cerebral metastases of systemic lymphoma. For a significant period, surgical resection was considered obsolete due to the favourable response to chemotherapy and the associated risk of postoperative deficits.

Multiomics and spatial mapping characterizes human CD8 T cell states in cancer.

Clinically relevant immunological biomarkers that discriminate between diverse hypofunctional states of tumor-associated CD8 T cells remain disputed. Using multiomics analysis of CD8 T cell features across multiple patient cohorts and tumor types, we identified tumor niche-dependent exhausted and other types of hypofunctional CD8 T cell states. CD8 T cells in "supportive" niches, like melanoma or lung cancer, exhibited features of tumor reactivity-driven exhaustion (CD8 T).

Impact of COVID-19 Epidemic on Psycho-Oncological Distress in Neuro-Oncological Patients.

Up to 40% of neuro-oncological patients already deal with high levels of distress under conventional circumstances. Due to COVID-19, pandemic hospital visitor rules have been restricted and patients did not receive the same level of supporting caregiver network as before COVID. The aim of the present study was to analyse the impact of the COVID pandemic on the prevalence of distress, anxiety and depression in neuro-oncological patients.

In-Vitro Use of Verteporfin for Photodynamic Therapy in Glioblastoma.

Background: Stummer et al. established fluorescence-guided surgery (FGS) for glioblastoma (GBM) using 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA). Its metabolite, protoporphyrin IX (PPIX), is also a photosensitizer and can be used for photodynamic therapy (PDT) using a laser beam of 635 nm.

Two Decades of Brain Tumour Imaging with O-(2-[F]fluoroethyl)-L-tyrosine PET: The Forschungszentrum Jülich Experience.

O-(2-[F]fluoroethyl)-L-tyrosine (FET) is a widely used amino acid tracer for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of brain tumours. This retrospective study and survey aimed to analyse our extensive database regarding the development of FET PET investigations, indications, and the referring physicians' rating concerning the role of FET PET in the clinical decision-making process. Between 2006 and 2019, we performed 6534 FET PET scans on 3928 different patients against a backdrop of growing demand for FET PET.

The influence of psychosocial and sexual wellbeing on quality of life in women with differences of sexual development.

Background: Previous research indicating that women with differences of sexual development (DSD), namely women with Turner syndrome (TS), women with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), and women with XY-DSD, have an impaired psychosocial and sexual well-being and quality of life (QOL), was often limited by small samples and inadequate control groups (CGs). Only few studies analysed which psychosocial and sexual factors influence QOL in women with DSD and no study so far has examined whether the DSD-condition itself and the diagnostic group to which they belong moderate this influence.

Methods: We compared 301 women with TS, 221 women with CAH and 142 women with XY-DSD with 603 non-DSD women regarding depression, anxiety, self-esteem, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, social participation, body acceptance, relationship status, sexual satisfaction and QOL.

Cost Effectiveness of F-FET PET for Early Treatment Response Assessment in Glioma Patients After Adjuvant Temozolomide Chemotherapy.

In light of increasing health-care costs, higher medical expenses should be justified socioeconomically. Therefore, we calculated the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of PET using the radiolabeled amino acid -(2-F-fluoroethyl)-l-tyrosine (F-FET) compared with conventional MRI for early identification of responders to adjuvant temozolomide chemotherapy. A recently published study in isocitrate dehydrogenase wild-type glioma patients suggested that F-FET PET parameter changes predicted a significantly longer survival already after 2 cycles whereas MRI changes were not significant.

Quality of life and mental health in emerging adults with cerebral palsy compared to the general population.

Background: While evidence concerning Quality of Life (QoL) in youth with cerebral palsy (CP) in comparison to the general population has been accumulating, there is a lack of studies exploring differences on a wider range of positive and negative mental health outcomes in emerging adults.

Methods: This binational case control study is part of the SPARCLE cohort study on QoL and participation of youth with CP. QoL (WHOQOL-BREF), depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7) and self-efficacy (GSE) were assessed in 198 emerging adults with CP and 593 emerging adults from the general population, matched for country of residence, age and gender.