The International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG)recommends FDG PET/CT (Fluoro-Deoxy-glucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography) as the gold standard imaging modality for initial ...evaluation and response to therapy assessment in multiple myeloma. In fact, FDG PET/CT, provides multiple useful indexes to risk-stratify patients and has significant prognostic value. However, multiple myeloma remains a complex disease to interpret on imaging. The Italian myeloma criteria for PET use (IMPeTUs) were proposed to standardize FDG PET/CT reading in multiple myeloma. In this communication an overview on IMPeTUs is provided as well as some examples of application.
Purpose Sensitive detection of cancer foci in men experiencing biochemical recurrence following initial treatment of prostate cancer is of great clinical significance with a possible impact on ...subsequent treatment choice. We describe a multisite experience of the efficacy and safety of the positron emission tomography/computerized tomography agent fluciclovine (18 F) after biochemical recurrence. Materials and Methods A total of 596 patients underwent fluciclovine (18 F) positron emission tomography/computerized tomography at 4 clinical sites. Detection rate determinations were stratified by the baseline prostate specific antigen value. Diagnostic performance was assessed against a histological reference standard in 143 scans. Results The subject level fluciclovine (18 F) positron emission tomography/computer tomography detection rate was 67.7% (403 of 595 scans). Positive findings were detected in the prostate/bed and pelvic lymph node regions in 38.7% (232 of 599) and 32.6% of scans (194 of 596), respectively. Metastatic involvement outside the pelvis was detected in 26.2% of scans (155 of 591). The subject level detection rate in patients in the lowest quartile for baseline prostate specific antigen (0.79 ng/ml or less) was 41.4% (53 of 128). Of these patients 13 had involvement in the prostate/bed only, 16 had pelvic lymph node involvement without distant disease and 24 had distant metastases. The positive predictive value of fluciclovine (18 F) positron emission tomography/computerized tomography scanning for all sampled lesions was 62.2%, and it was 92.3% and 71.8% for extraprostatic and prostate/bed involvement, respectively. Fluciclovine (18 F) was well tolerated and the safety profile was not altered following repeat administration. Conclusions Fluciclovine (18 F) is well tolerated and able to detect local and distant prostate cancer recurrence across a wide range of prostate specific antigen values.
To evaluate the role of 18F-FDG PET/CT in 282 symptomatic multiple myeloma patients treated up-front between 2002 and 2012.
All patients were studied by PET/CT at baseline, during posttreatment ...follow-up, and at the time of relapse. Their median duration of follow-up was 67 months.
Forty-two percent of the patients at diagnosis had >3 focal lesions, and in 50% SUVmax was >4.2; extramedullary disease was present in 5%. On multivariate analysis, ISS stage 3, SUVmax >4.2, and failure to achieve best complete response (CR) were the leading factors independently associated with shorter progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). These 3 variables were used to construct a prognostic scoring system based on the number of risk factors. After treatment, PET/CT negativity (PET-neg) was observed in 70% of patients, whereas conventionally defined CR was achieved in 53%. Attainment of PET-neg favorably influenced PFS and OS. PET-neg was an independent predictor of prolonged PFS and OS for patients with conventionally defined CR. Sixty-three percent of patients experienced relapse or progression; in 12%, skeletal progression was exclusively detected by systematic PET/CT performed during follow-up. A multivariate analysis revealed that persistence of SUVmax >4.2 following first-line treatment was independently associated with exclusive PET/CT progression.
PET/CT combined with ISS stage and achievement or not of CR on first-line therapy sorted patients into different prognostic groups. PET/CT led to a more careful evaluation of CR. Finally, in patients with persistent high glucose metabolism after first-line treatment, PET/CT can be recommended during follow-up, to screen for otherwise unidentifiable progression.
Purpose
18
F-FDG PET/CT is an emerging technique for diagnosis of cardiac implantable electronic devices infection (CIEDI). Despite the improvements in transvenous lead extraction (TLE), long-term ...survival in patients with CIEDI is poor. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether the extension of CIEDI at
18
F-FDG PET/CT can improve prediction of survival after TLE.
Methods
Prospective, monocentric observational study enrolling consecutive candidates to TLE for a diagnosis of CIEDI.
18
F-FDG PET/CT was performed in all patients prior TLE.
Results
There were 105 consecutive patients with confirmed CIEDI enrolled. An increased
18
F-FDG uptake was limited to cardiac implantable electrical device (CIED) pocket in 56 patients, 40 patients had a systemic involvement. We had nine negative PET in patients undergoing prolonged antimicrobial therapy (22.5 ± 14.0 days vs. 8.6 ± 13.0 days;
p
= 0.005). Implementation of
18
F-FDG PET/CT in modified Duke Criteria lead to reclassification of 23.8% of the patients. After a mean follow-up of 25.0 ± 9.0 months, 31 patients died (29.5%). Patients with CIED pocket involvement at
18
F-FDG PET/CT presented a better survival independently of presence/absence of systemic involvement (HR 0.493, 95%CI 0.240–0.984;
p
= 0.048). After integration of
18
F-FDG PET/CT data, absence of overt/hidden pocket involvement in CIEDI and a (glomerular filtration rate) GFR < 60 ml/min were the only independent predictors of mortality at long term.
Conclusions
Patient with CIEDI and a
Cold Closed Pocket
(i.e., a CIED pocket without skin erosion/perforation nor increased capitation at
18
F-FDG PET/CT) present worse long-term survival. Patient management can benefit by systematic adoption of pre-TLE
18
F-FDG PET/CT through improved identification of CIED related endocarditis (CIEDIE) and hidden involvement of CIED pocket.
Phytosterols, besides hypocholesterolemic effect, present anti-inflammatory properties. Little information is available about their efficacy in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). Therefore, we have ...evaluated the effect of a mixture of phytosterols on prevention/induction/remission in a murine experimental model of colitis. Phytosterols were administered x os before, during and after colitis induction with Dextran Sodium Sulfate (DSS) in mice. Disease Activity Index (DAI), colon length, histopathology score, 18F-FDG microPET, oxidative stress in the intestinal tissue (ileum and colon) and gallbladder ileum and colon spontaneous and carbachol (CCh) induced motility, plasma lipids and plasma, liver and biliary bile acids (BA) were evaluated. A similar longitudinal study was performed in a DSS colitis control group. Mice treated with DSS developed severe colitis as shown by DAI, colon length, histopathology score, 18F-FDG microPET, oxidative stress. Both spontaneous and induced ileal and colonic motility were severely disturbed. The same was observed with gallbladder. DSS colitis resulted in an increase in plasma cholesterol, and a modification of the BA pattern. Phytosterols feeding did not prevent colitis onset but significantly reduced the severity of the disease and improved clinical and histological remission. It had strong antioxidant effects, almost restored colon, ileal and gallbladder motility. Plasmatic levels of cholesterol were also reduced. DSS induced a modification in the BA pattern consistent with an increase in the intestinal BA deconjugating bacteria, prevented by phytosterols. Phytosterols seem a potential nutraceutical tool for gastrointestinal inflammatory diseases, combining metabolic systematic and local anti-inflammatory effects.
Porphyrin-loaded core-shell nanoparticles have been engineered for use as in vivo sonosensitizing systems, radio-tracers or magnetic resonance (MR) imaging agents, which may be suitable for the ...selective treatment of solid tumors and imaging analyses.
Polymethyl methacrylate nanoparticles (PMMANPs) have been either loaded with meso-tetrakis (4-sulphonatophenyl) porphyrin (TPPS) for sonodynamic anticancer treatment, with (64)Cu-TPPS for positron emission tomography biodistribution studies or with Mn(III)-TPPS for MR tumor accumulation evaluation.
PMMANPs are easily functionalized with negatively charged molecules and show favorable biodistribution. In vivo TPPS-PMMANPs have demonstrated shock wave responsiveness in a Mat B III syngeneic rat breast cancer model as measured by MR analyses of pre- and post-treatment tumor volumes.
TPPS-PMMANPs are a multimodal system which can efficiently induce in vivo sonodynamic anticancer activity.
We aimed to review the current state‐of‐the‐art imaging methods used for primary and secondary staging of prostate cancer, mainly focusing on multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging and ...positron‐emission tomography/computed tomography with new radiotracers. An expert panel of urologists, radiologists and nuclear medicine physicians with wide experience in prostate cancer led a PubMed/MEDLINE search for prospective, retrospective original research, systematic review, meta‐analyses and clinical guidelines for local and systemic staging of the primary tumor and recurrence disease after treatment. Despite magnetic resonance imaging having low sensitivity for microscopic extracapsular extension, it is now a mainstay of prostate cancer diagnosis and local staging, and is becoming a crucial tool in treatment planning. Cross‐sectional imaging for nodal staging, such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, is clinically useless even in high‐risk patients, but is still suggested by current clinical guidelines. Positron‐emission tomography/computed tomography with newer tracers has some advantage over conventional images, but is not cost‐effective. Bone scan and computed tomography are often useless in early biochemical relapse, when salvage treatments are potentially curative. New imaging modalities, such as prostate‐specific membrane antigen positron‐emission tomography/computed tomography and whole‐body magnetic resonance imaging, are showing promising results for early local and systemic detection. Newer imaging techniques, such as multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging, whole‐body magnetic resonance imaging and positron‐emission tomography/computed tomography with prostate‐specific membrane antigen, have the potential to fill the historical limitations of conventional imaging methods in some clinical situations of primary and secondary staging of prostate cancer.
Serum markers and bone marrow examination are commonly used for monitoring therapy response in multiple myeloma (MM), but this fails to identify minimal residual disease (MRD), which frequently ...persists after therapy even in complete response patients, and extra-medullary disease escape. Positron emission tomography with computed tomography using 18F-deoxyglucose (FDG-PET/CT) is the reference imaging technique for therapeutic assessment and MRD detection in MM. To date, all large prospective cohort studies of transplant-eligible newly diagnosed MM patients have shown a strong and independent pejorative prognostic impact of not obtaining complete metabolic response by FDG-PET/CT after therapy, especially before maintenance. The FDG-PET/CT and MRD (evaluated by flow cytometry or next-generation sequencing at 10
and 10
levels, respectively) results are complementary for MRD detection outside and inside the bone marrow. For patients with at least a complete response, to reach double negativity (FDG-PET/CT and MRD) is a predictive surrogate for patient outcome. Homogenization of FDG-PET/CT interpretation after therapy, especially clarification of complete metabolic response definition, is currently underway. FDG-PET/CT does not allow MRD to be evaluated when it is negative at initial workup of symptomatic MM. New PET tracers such as CXCR4 ligands have shown high diagnostic value and could replace FDG in this setting. New sensitive functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques such as diffusion-weighted MRI appear to be complementary to FDG-PET/CT for imaging MRD detection. The goal of this review is to examine the feasibility of functional imaging, especially FDG-PET/CT, for therapeutic assessment and MRD detection in MM.
From the Istituto di Ematologia e Oncologia Medica "L. e A. Seràgnoli", Università di Bologna, Italia (EZ, PTo, PTa, DC, GP, MC, AB, MB, MC); Istituto di Medicina Nucleare, Policlinico S. ...Orsola-Malpighi, Bologna, Italia (CN, PC, SF);Clinica Ematologica, Dip. di Ricerca Clinica e Morfologica, Università di Udine, Italia (FP, SB, RF); Istituto di Medicina Nucleare, Ospedale S. Maria della Misericordia, Udine, Italia (EE, OG); Istituto di Radiologia, Policlinico S. Orsola-Malpighi, Bologna, Italia (ES)
Correspondence: Michele Cavo, M.D., Istituto di Ematologia ed Oncologia Medica "Seràgnoli", Università degli Studi di Bologna, Policlinico S. Orsola-Malpighi, Via Massarenti, 9 40138 Bologna, Italy. E-mail: mcavo{at}med.unibo.it
Background and Objectives: Bone lesions in multiple myeloma (MM) have been traditionally detected by whole body X-ray (WBXR) survey although magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become the gold standard for detecting MM involvement of the spine and pelvis. The aim of this study was to compare a new technique, positron emission tomography (PET) with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) integrated with computed tomography (18F-FDG PET-CT), with MRI and WBXR for baseline assessment of bone disease in MM.
Design and Methods: We prospectively compared 18F-FDG PET-CT, MRI of the spine-pelvis and WBXR for baseline assessment of bone disease in a series of 46 patients with newly diagnosed MM. In 23 patients who received up front autologous transplantation, we also compared post-treatment PET-CT scans with MR images of the spine and pelvis.
Results: Overall, PET-CT was superior to planar radiographs in 46% of patients, including 19% with negative WBXR. In 30% of patients, PET-CT scans of the spine and pelvis failed to show abnormal findings in areas in which MRI revealed an abnormal pattern of bone marrow involvement, more frequently of diffuse type. In contrast, in 35% of patients PET-CT enabled the detection of myelomatous lesions in areas which were out of the field of view of MRI. By combining MRI of the spine-pelvis and 18F-FDG PET-CT, the ability to detect sites of active MM, both medullary and extramedullary, was as high as 92%. Following transplantation, 15 patients had negative PET-CT scans (including 13 with a very good partial response or at least near complete response), but only 8 had normal MRI.
Interpretation and Conclusions: MRI of the spine and pelvis still remains the gold standard imaging technique for the detection of bone marrow involvement in MM. 18F-FDG PET-CT provides additional and valuable information for the assessment of myeloma bone disease in areas not covered by MRI.
Key words: 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, whole-body planar radiographs, bone disease, multiple myeloma.