In recent years much interest has focused on the potential ability of 18F-FDG PET/CT to assess response to therapy in oesophageal carcinoma after the end of treatment.
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive, fatal disorder with a variable disease trajectory. The aim of this study was to assess the potential of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) to ...predict outcomes in IPF.
We adopted a two-stage discovery (n = 71) and validation (n = 134) design using patients from the UCL partners (UCLp) cohort. We then combined discovery and validation cohorts and included an additional 794 people with IPF, using real-life data from 5 other UK centers, to give a combined cohort of 999 patients. Data were collected from patients presenting over a 13-year period (2006–2019) with mean follow up of 3.7 years (censoring: 2018–2020).
In the discovery analysis, we showed that high values of NLR (>/ = 2.9 vs < 2.9) were associated with increased risk of mortality in IPF (HR 2.04, 95% CI 1.09–3.81, n = 71, p = 0.025). This was confirmed in the validation (HR 1.91, 95% CI 1.15–3.18, n = 134, p = 0.0114) and combined cohorts (HR 1.65, n = 999, 95% CI 1.39–1.95; p < 0·0001). NLR correlated with GAP stage and GAP index (p < 0.0001). Stratifying patients by NLR category (low/high) showed significant differences in survival for GAP stage 2 (p < 0.0001), however not for GAP stage 1 or 3. In a multivariate analysis, a high NLR was an independent predictor of mortality/progression after adjustment for individual GAP components and steroid/anti-fibrotic use (p < 0·03). Furthermore, incorporation of baseline NLR in a modified GAP-stage/index, GAP–index/stage-plus, refined prognostic ability as measured by concordance (C)-index.
We have identified NLR as a widely available test that significantly correlates with lung function, can predict outcomes in IPF and refines cohort staging with GAP. NLR may allow timely prioritisation of at-risk patients, even in the absence of lung function.
Breathing Matters, GSK, CF Trust, BLF-Asthma, MRC, NIHR Alpha-1 Foundation.
To prospectively investigate the fetal dosimetry knowledge of health care professionals involved in the management of pulmonary embolism.
One hundred sixty-one health care professionals consented to ...participate in this study, which had ethical board approval. The individuals surveyed were from 14 hospitals (seven university and seven community hospitals) in the United Kingdom, and 68 trainees were included. These health care professionals included 102 radiologists, 13 nuclear physicians, seven dual-accredited radiologist-nuclear medicine physicians, 16 medical physicists, and 23 pulmonologists. The interview included eight questions. Two questions asked which examination-computed tomographic (CT) pulmonary angiography or ventilation-perfusion (V/Q) scintigraphy-gave (a) the larger radiation exposure (effective dose) to an adult and (b) the larger fetal dose. Two questions assessed the magnitude of the dose differences between these two tests. Four questions asked for an estimate of the dose to both adult and fetus from CT pulmonary angiography and scintigraphy. Subgroup analysis was performed by using the Fisher exact test.
Of the 161 professionals surveyed, 93 (58%) appreciated correctly that V/Q scintigraphy delivers a higher fetal dose than does CT pulmonary angiography. Three of 161 professionals were able to answer all eight questions correctly. In terms of the knowledge that V/Q scintigraphy has a higher fetal dose than does CT, there was no statistically significant difference in correct answers between specialties (P > .05), between university and community hospitals (P = .13), or between attending physicians and residents (P = .52).
This survey reveals that there is a lack of knowledge of fetal dosimetry in the imaging of pregnant women suspected of having pulmonary embolism.
Introduction.
Currently, there is a lack of data on the role of combined positron emission tomography–computed tomography (PET–CT) in the staging of early invasive primary breast cancer. We therefore ...evaluated the role of 18F‐fluorodeoxyglucose (18F‐FDG)‐PET–CT in this patient population.
Methods.
We prospectively recruited 70 consecutive patients (69 women, one man; mean age, 61.9 ± 8.1 years) with early primary breast cancer for staging with 18F‐FDG‐PET–CT. All PET–CT images were interpreted by two readers (independently of each other). A third reader adjudicated any discrepancies. All readers had ≥5 years of specific experience. Ethics board approval and informed consent were obtained.
Results.
The mean clinical follow‐up was 22.7 ± 12.6 months. The primary tumor was identified with PET–CT in 64 of 70 patients. Of the unidentified lesions, surgical pathology revealed two intraductal carcinomas, one invasive tubular carcinoma, and three invasive lobular carcinomas. Undiagnosed multifocal breast disease was shown in seven of 70 patients. PET–CT identified avid axillary lymph nodes in 19 of 70 patients, compared with 24 of 70 confirmed during surgery. There were four patients who were axillary node positive on PET but had no axillary disease at surgery.
Five patients were reported with avid metastases. Two of those patients were treated for metastatic disease (nodal, lung, and liver in one and bone metastases in the other) following further imaging and clinical assessment. In the other three patients, lesions (lung, n = 1; pleural, n = 1; paratrachael node, n = 1) were subsequently diagnosed as benign lesions.
Conclusion.
Integrated 18F‐FDG‐PET–CT may have a role in staging patients presenting with early breast cancer.
The role of 18F‐fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography–computed tomography in the staging of early invasive primary breast cancer was evaluated.
Tumour angiogenesis is an independent and strong prognostic factor in early breast carcinoma. We performed this study to investigate the ability of (18)F-FDG to detect angiogenesis in early breast ...carcinoma using PET/CT.
Twenty consecutive patients with early (T1-T2) breast carcinoma were recruited prospectively for 18F-FDG PET/CT. The PET/CT data were used to calculate whole tumour maximum standardized uptake value (SUV(max)) and mean standardized uptake value (SUV(mean)). All patients underwent subsequent surgery without prior chemotherapy or radiotherapy. The excised tumour underwent immunohistochemistry for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), CD105 and glucose transporter protein 1 (GLUT1).
The SUV(max) showed the following correlation with tumour histology: CD105: r = 0.60, p = 0.005; GLUT1: r = 0.21, p = 0.373; VEGF: r = -0.16, p = 0.496. The SUV(mean) showed the following correlation with tumour histology: CD105: r = 0.65, p = 0.002; GLUT1: r = 0.34, p = 0.144; VEGF: r = -0.18, p = 0.443
(18)F-FDG uptake is highly significantly associated with angiogenesis as measured by the immunohistochemistry with CD105 for new vessel formation. Given that tumour angiogenesis is an important prognostic indicator and a predictor of treatment response, (18)F-FDG PET may have a role in the management of primary breast cancer patients even in early-stage disease.
Background
Matched attenuation maps are vital for obtaining accurate and reproducible kinetic and static parameter estimates from PET data. With increased interest in PET/CT imaging of diffuse lung ...diseases for assessing disease progression and treatment effectiveness, understanding the extent of the effect of respiratory motion and establishing methods for correction are becoming more important. In a previous study, we have shown that using the wrong attenuation map leads to large errors due to density mismatches in the lung, especially in dynamic PET scans. Here, we extend this work to the case where the study is sub-divided into several scans, e.g. for patient comfort, each with its own CT (cine-CT and ‘snap shot’ CT). A method to combine multi-CT information into a
combined-CT
has then been developed, which averages the CT information from each study section to produce composite CT images with the lung density more representative of that in the PET data. This combined-CT was applied to nine patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, imaged with dynamic
18
F-FDG PET/CT to determine the improvement in the precision of the parameter estimates.
Results
Using XCAT simulations, errors in the influx rate constant were found to be as high as 60% in multi-PET/CT studies. Analysis of patient data identified displacements between study sections in the time activity curves, which led to an average standard error in the estimates of the influx rate constant of 53% with conventional methods. This reduced to within 5% after use of combined-CTs for attenuation correction of the study sections.
Conclusions
Use of combined-CTs to reconstruct the sections of a multi-PET/CT study, as opposed to using the individually acquired CTs at each study stage, produces more precise parameter estimates and may improve discrimination between diseased and normal lung.
For patients, undergoing PET/MRI and PET/CT carries a psychologic burden that may be lessened by effective education beforehand. We devised an online resource to explain the imaging process to ...patients before they undergo PET/MRI or PET/CT. Methods: We produced 2 patient-information videos explaining the journey of the patient through the process of undergoing PET scanning. Actual patients were recruited to review the style and content of the videos at each stage of their production, as well as the finished product. Results: The 2 videos were produced and reviewed, and positive feedback was obtained both from the patients and from health-care providers. Conclusion: Involvement of patients in the production of the informational videos had a positive impact on the finished product and its potential benefit.
The endpoint of an efficient and accurate diagnosis of musculoskeletal pathology can take many different routes. Currently, conventional radiological techniques, such as plain radiography, ...ultrasonography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging are used in the assessment of patients with benign and malignant bone disease. An understanding of the advantages and limitations of the modalities available will help expedite diagnosis, and hence treatment. In this review, we discuss the advantages and limitations of the modalities available in investigating benign and malignant musculoskeletal pathology.
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