The role of medical physics experts in clinical trials: A guideline from the European Federation of Organisations for Medical Physics.

The EFOMP working group on the Role of Medical Physics Experts (MPEs) in Clinical Trials was established in 2010, with experts from across Europe and different areas of medical physics. Their main aims were: (1) To develop a consensus guidance document for the work MPEs do in clinical trials across Europe. (2) Complement the work by American colleagues in AAPM TG 113 and guidance from National Member Organisations.

Preoperative Radiation Therapy for Chemorefractory Localized Inflammatory Breast Cancer.

Purpose: Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is a rare breast cancer subtype. Chemorefractory nonmetastatic IBC, defined by locoregional progression under neoadjuvant chemotherapy, is a rare situation with few therapeutic options. Owing to the rarity of this clinical presentation and the lack of specific data, no specific management guidelines exist.

Multi-scale feature similarity-based weakly supervised lymphoma segmentation in PET/CT images.

Accurate lymphoma segmentation in PET/CT images is important for evaluating Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) prognosis. As systemic multiple lymphomas, DLBCL lesions vary in number and size for different patients, which makes DLBCL labeling labor-intensive and time-consuming. To reduce the reliance on accurately labeled datasets, a weakly supervised deep learning method based on multi-scale feature similarity is proposed for automatic lymphoma segmentation.

Deep learning analysis of contrast-enhanced spectral mammography to determine histoprognostic factors of malignant breast tumours.

Objective: To evaluate if a deep learning model can be used to characterise breast cancers on contrast-enhanced spectral mammography (CESM).

Methods: This retrospective mono-centric study included biopsy-proven invasive cancers with an enhancement on CESM. CESM images include low-energy images (LE) comparable to digital mammography and dual-energy subtracted images (DES) showing tumour angiogenesis.

Long-term oncological safety of sentinel lymph node biopsy in early-stage cervical cancer: A post-hoc analysis of SENTICOL I and SENTICOL II cohorts.

Objectives: To compare oncologic outcomes of patients with early-stage cervical cancer and negative nodes who underwent sentinel lymph node biopsy alone (SLNB) versus pelvic lymphadenectomy (PL).

Methods: An ancillary analysis of two prospective multicentric trials on SLN biopsy for cervical cancer (SENTICOL I and II) was conducted. Only patients with early-stage cervical cancer (IA to IIA FIGO stage), bilateral detection of SLN, negative SLN after ultrastaging and negative non-SLN after final pathologic examination were included.

Reproducibility of Baseline Tumour Metabolic Volume Measurements in Diffuse Large B-Cell LymphomA: Is There a Superior Method?

The metabolic tumour volume (MTV) is an independent prognostic indicator in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). However, its measurement is not standardised and is subject to wide variations depending on the method used. This study aimed to compare the reproducibility of MTV measurement as well as the thresholds obtained for each method and their prognostic values.

Correlations between baseline F-FDG PET tumour parameters and circulating DNA in diffuse large B cell lymphoma and Hodgkin lymphoma.

Background: F-FDG PET/CT is a standard for many B cell malignancies, while blood DNA measurements are emerging tools. Our objective was to evaluate the correlations between baseline PET parameters and circulating DNA in diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL).

Methods: Twenty-seven DLBCL and forty-eight cHL were prospectively included.

Prognostic value of sarcopenia in patients treated by Radiochemotherapy for locally advanced oesophageal cancer.

Background: Sarcopenia is defined by a loss of skeletal muscle mass with or without loss of fat mass. Sarcopenia has been associated to reduced tolerance to treatment and worse prognosis in cancer patients, including patients undergoing surgery for limited oesophageal cancer. Concomitant chemo-radiotherapy is the standard treatment for locally-advanced tumour, not accessible to surgical resection.

Prognostic value of post-induction chemotherapy 18F-FDG PET-CT in stage II/III non-small cell lung cancer before (chemo-) radiation.

Introduction: The purpose of our present study was to assess the prognostic impact of FDG PET-CT after induction chemotherapy for patients with inoperable non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Material And Methods: This retrospective study included 50 patients with inoperable stage II/III NSCLC from January 2012 to July 2015. They were treated for curative intent with induction chemotherapy, followed by concomitant chemoradiation therapy or sequential radiation therapy.

Delineation of lung cancer with FDG PET/CT during radiation therapy.

Objectives: To propose an easily applicable segmentation method (perPET-RT) for delineation of tumour volume during radiotherapy on interim fluorine 18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Material And Methods: Sixty-seven patients (51 primary tumours, 60 lymph nodes), from 4 prospective studies, underwent an FDG PET/CT scan during the fifth week of radiation therapy, using different generations of PET/CT. Per-therapeutic PET/CT scans were delineated in consensus by two experienced physicians leading to the gold standard threshold to be applied.

Correction to: Tumor fragmentation estimated by volume surface ratio of tumors measured on F-FDG PET/CT is an independent prognostic factor of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

A unit error concerning the tumor volume surface ratio (TVSR) is present throughout the article. The unit reported is "cm" but is actually "mm".

Tumor fragmentation estimated by volume surface ratio of tumors measured on 18F-FDG PET/CT is an independent prognostic factor of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

Introduction: Our aim was to study the prognostic value of two new F-FDG PET biomarkers in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). We examined the total tumor surface (TTS), describing the tumor-host interface, and the tumor volume surface ratio (TVSR), corresponding to the ratio between the total metabolic tumor volume (TMTV) and TTS, describing the tumor fragmentation.

Methods: We retrospectively included 215 patients with DLBCL.

Combination of baseline FDG PET/CT total metabolic tumour volume and gene expression profile have a robust predictive value in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

Purpose: This study evaluated the predictive significance of total metabolic tumour volume (TMTV) measured on baseline FDG PET/CT and its value in addition to gene expression profiling using a new method of gene analysis (rapid reverse transcriptase multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification assay, RT-MLPA) in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma treated with R-CHOP or R-CHOP-like chemotherapies.

Methods: The analysis included 114 patients. TMTV was measured using a 41% SUVmax threshold and tumours were classified into GCB or ABC subtypes according to the RT-MLPA assay.

Areas of high 18F-FDG uptake on preradiotherapy PET/CT identify preferential sites of local relapse after chemoradiotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer.

Unlabelled: The high rates of failure in the radiotherapy target volume suggest that patients with stage II or III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) should receive an increased total dose of radiotherapy. Areas of high (18)F-FDG uptake on preradiotherapy (18)F-FDG PET/CT have been reported to identify intratumor subvolumes at high risk of relapse after radiotherapy. We wanted to confirm these observations on a cohort of patients included in 3 sequential prospective studies.

Delineation of small mobile tumours with FDG-PET/CT in comparison to pathology in breast cancer patients.

Purpose: Various segmentation methods for 18F-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) images were correlated with pathological volume in breast cancer patients as a model of small mobile tumours.

Methods: Thirty women with T2-T3/M0 breast invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) were included prospectively. A FDG-PET/CT was acquired 4 ± 3d before surgery in prone and supine positions, with/without respiratory gating.

Monitoring tumour response during chemo-radiotherapy: a parametric method using FDG-PET/CT images in patients with oesophageal cancer.

Background: The objective of this study is to investigate the feasibility and the additional interest of a parametric imaging (PI) method to monitor the early tumour metabolic response in a prospective series of oesophageal cancer patients who underwent positron emission tomography with fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose (FDG-PET/CT) before and during curative-intent chemo-radiotherapy.

Methods: Fifty-seven patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the oesophagus prospectively underwent FDG-PET/CT before chemo-radiotherapy (CRT) (PET1) and at 21 ± 3 days after the beginning of CRT (PET2). The outcome was assessed at 3 months and 1 year after the completion of CRT (clinical examination, CT scan or FDG-PET/CT, biopsy).