Development of a methodology for dose assessment and estimate of amount of NORM residues disposable in a conventional landfill.

The final disposal of NORM wastes in conventional landfill generally determines problems of acceptance by the landfill operators, since their willingness to accept Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM) is often limited due to their concern about the radiological risks and reluctance of the local community to have at local landfills material that despite being cleared is still perceived as 'radioactive'. In order to raise awareness among landfill operators, and also among other stakeholders on the actual radiological risk of exempted or cleared NORM wastes, it is of interest to estimate the mass of annual wastes containing NORM that can be disposed of in a landfill for conventional waste complying with the annual dose criterion of 1 mSv. A methodology was developed considering a hypothetical homogeneous large landfill and assuming that NORM wastes are delivered with an initial activity concentration of 1 kBq kg.

Complicated Inguinal Hernia Incidentally Detected on a Radiolabelled Autologous White Blood Cell Scan.

A 73-year-old male with left hip prosthesis infection performed a Tc HMPAO-labelled autologous WBC (WBC) scan to evaluate the response to antibiotic therapy. Since the early planar scan, an area of increased activity was visible extending from the left groin region to the ipsilateral flank. At late planar images, the area progressively focused in the left groin, site of a painful inguinal hernia.

The impact of PET imaging on triple negative breast cancer: an updated evidence-based perspective.

Introduction: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a subtype of breast cancer characterized by the absence of estrogen, progesterone, and HER2 receptors. It predominantly affects younger women and is associated with a poor prognosis. This systematic review aims to evaluate the current role of positron emission tomography (PET) in the management of TNBC patients and to identify future research directions.

ML Models Built Using Clinical Parameters and Radiomic Features Extracted from F-Choline PET/CT for the Prediction of Biochemical Recurrence after Metastasis-Directed Therapy in Patients with Oligometastatic Prostate Cancer.

Unlabelled: Oligometastatic patients at [F]F-Fluorocholine (F-choline) PET/CT may be treated with metastasis-directed therapy (MDT). The aim of this study was to combine radiomic parameters extracted from F-choline PET/CT and clinical data to build machine learning (ML) models able to predict MDT efficacy.

Methods: Oligorecurrent patients (≤5 lesions) at F-choline PET/CT and treated with MDT were collected.

Diverse Imaging Methods May Influence Long-Term Oncologic Outcomes in Oligorecurrent Prostate Cancer Patients Treated with Metastasis-Directed Therapy (the PRECISE-MDT Study).

Metastasis-directed therapy (MDT) has been tested in clinical trials as a treatment option for oligorecurrent prostate cancer (PCa). However, there is an ongoing debate regarding the impact of using different imaging techniques interchangeably for defining lesions and guiding MDT within clinical trials. We retrospectively identified oligorecurrent PCa patients who had 5 or fewer nodal, bone, or visceral metastases detected by choline or prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) PET/CT and who underwent MDT stereotactic body radiotherapy with or without systemic therapy in 8 tertiary-level cancer centers.

A Prospective Randomized Multicenter Study on the Impact of [F]F-Choline PET/CT Versus Conventional Imaging for Staging Intermediate- to High-Risk Prostate Cancer.

This study aimed to compare the efficacy of [F]F-choline PET/CT with conventional imaging for staging and managing intermediate- to high-risk prostate cancer (PCa). The primary objective was to assess the ability of PET/CT with [F]F-choline to identify lymph node and systemic involvement during initial staging. Secondary objectives included evaluating the impact of [F]F-choline PET/CT on unnecessary local treatments and assessing the safety of [F]F-choline agents.

Tc-labeled FAPI compounds for cancer and inflammation: from radiochemistry to the first clinical applications.

Background: In recent years, fibroblast activating protein (FAP), a biomarker overexpressed by cancer-associated fibroblasts, has emerged as one of the most promising biomarkers in oncology. Similarly, FAP overexpression has been detected in various fibroblast-mediated inflammatory conditions such as liver cirrhosis and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Along this trajectory, FAP-targeted positron emission tomography (PET), utilizing FAP inhibitors (FAPi) labeled with positron emitters, has gained traction as a powerful imaging approach in both cancer and inflammation.

PARP-Targeted Radiotheranostics with Auger Electrons: An Updated Overview.

Auger electrons (AEs) represent an intriguing topic in the field of radionuclide therapy. They are emitted by several radionuclides commonly used in nuclear medicine (indium-111, iodine-123, iodine-125), allowing for highly localized energy deposition and thus exerting a radiotoxic effect on specific cellular and sub-cellular targets. However, due to their short range in matter, AEs have had limited use in therapeutic applications so far.

Cavernous Hepatic Hemangioma at 18F-Choline Positron Emission Tomography-Computed Tomography: Be Aware of the Pitfall.

We report a case of a patient performing a positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) scan with [18F]F-Choline for biochemical relapse (Prostate specific antigen (PSA) 1.2 ng/ml) of prostate cancer. Two large areas of focal uptake with a cold core within the liver were observed.

The Future Direction of Women in Nuclear Medicine and Nuclear Medicine in Women's Health.

This work discusses the role of Nuclear Medicine for women's health, the role of women in the development of this emerging field and the various issues which arise from both. It emphasizes the importance of young women and their competing needs due to factors like pregnancy and work-related challenges. The objectives of this overview include improving imaging techniques, preserving fertility during cancer treatment, diagnosing pelvic and uterine conditions, developing radiopharmaceuticals for women's health, protecting female employees in Nuclear Medicine, and considering the role of artificial intelligence.

Positron Emission Tomography-Derived Radiomics and Artificial Intelligence in Multiple Myeloma: State-of-the-Art.

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a heterogeneous neoplasm accounting for the second most prevalent hematologic disorder. The identification of noninvasive, valuable biomarkers is of utmost importance for the best patient treatment selection, especially in heterogeneous diseases like MM. Despite molecular imaging with positron emission tomography (PET) has achieved a primary role in the characterization of MM, it is not free from shortcomings.

Diagnostic Accuracy of PET with F-Fluciclovine ([F]FACBC) in Detecting High-Grade Gliomas: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: F-Fluciclovine ([F]FACBC) has been recently proposed as a synthetic radiolabeled amino acid for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging in patients with brain neoplasms. Our aim is to evaluate the diagnostic performance of [F]FACBC PET in high-grade glioma (HGG) patients, taking into account the literature data.

Methods: A comprehensive literature search was performed.

The evolution of PET imaging in renal, bladder, upper urinary tract urothelial, testicular and penile carcinoma - Today's impact, tomorrow's potential.

Introduction: The advancement of hybrid PET/CT or PET/MRI imaging for non-prostate genitourinary cancers has not experienced the rapid progress of prostate cancer. Nevertheless, these neoplasms are aggressive and reliable imaging plays a pivotal role in enhancing patients' quality of life and prognosis.

Areas Covered: the main evidence regarding [F]FDG and non-[F]FDG PET/CT or PET/MRI in non-prostate uro-oncological malignancies are summarized and discussed.

Development of a methodology for assessing radiological dose due to use of NORM sludge as fertilizer.

In Europe, the general obligation to recycle drives for increased reuse of residues containing Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM). In agriculture, this has led to the reuse of sludge produced by groundwater filtration facilities as a means of fertilization. In the frame of the RadoNorm project, a methodology was developed for dose assessment of agricultural workers and other members of the public living near agricultural fields in which NORM-containing sludge is applied.

Molecular imaging of PARP in cancer: state-of-the-art.

Introduction: Poly-ADP-ribose-polymerase inhibitors (PARPi), which exploit the processes of so-called 'synthetic lethality,' have been successfully implemented in oncological practice. However, not all patients respond to PARPi, and there is an unmet need for noninvasive biomarkers suitable for patient selection and monitoring during PARPi therapy.

Areas Covered: The first clinical applications of molecular imaging with positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) with [18F]-FluorThanatrace ([18F]-FTT) and [18F]-PARPi, highly effective PARP-ligands, in patients with several malignancies (head and neck, ovarian, prostate, and breast cancer) are covered, with a particular focus on its potential for pre-treatment selection and follow-up.

PSMA PET/CT in Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer: Myth or Reality?

Background: prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) ligand PET has been recently incorporated into international guidelines for several different indications in prostate cancer (PCa) patients. However, there are still some open questions regarding the role of PSMA ligand PET in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). The aim of this work is to assess the clinical value of PSMA ligand PET/CT in patients with CRPC.

[18F]FDG PET-TC radiomics and machine learning in the evaluation of prostate incidental uptake.

Aim: To evaluate the relevance of incidental prostate [F]FDG uptake (IPU) and to explore the potential of radiomics and machine learning (ML) to predict prostate cancer (PCa).

Methods: We retrieved [F]FDG PET/CT scans with evidence of IPU performed in two institutions between 2015 and 2021. Patients were divided into PCa and non-PCa, according to the biopsy.

Rhabdomyolysis as cause, consequence, or mimicker of myocardial infarction: A case report.

Key Clinical Message: A timely diagnosis is essential to start appropriate therapy and to reduce risks of life-threatening complications of rhabdomyolysis. Some cases can undergo differential diagnosis with other clinical conditions, e.g.

Use of random forest algorithm for predictive modelling of transfer factor soil-plant for radiocaesium: A feasibility study.

A German dataset with soil-plant transfer factors for radiocaesium including many co-variables was analysed and prepared for the application of the Random Forest (RF) algorithm using the R libraries 'party', and 'caret'. A RF predictive model for soil-plant transfer factor was created based on 10 co-variables. These are, for example, taxonomic plant family, plant part, soil type and the exchangeable potassium concentration in the soil.