Chest CT accuracy in the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection: initial experience in a cancer center

Objective: To evaluate the accuracy of chest computed tomography (CT) in patients with suspected severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection at a cancer center. Materials and Methods: This retrospective single-center study selected 91 patients who had chest CT and real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test collected at the same day. CT results were classified in negative, typical, indeterminate or atypical findings. Diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity and specificity were calculated for two different scenarios: in the first, only typical findings on CT were considered positive; in the second, both typical and indeterminate findings were considered positive. Results: Mean patients’ age was 58.2 years, most were male (60.4%) and had prior diagnosis of cancer (85.7%). CT showed typical findings in 28.6%, indeterminate findings in 24.2% and atypical findings in 26.4%. RT-PCR results were positive for SARS-CoV-2 in 27.5%. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy in the first and second scenarios were respectively 64.0%, 84.8% and 79.1%, and 92.0%, 62.1% and 70.3%. Conclusion: CT has a high accuracy for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Different interpretation criteria can provide either high sensitivity or high specificity. CT should be integrated as a triage test in resource-constrained environments during the pandemic to assist in the optimization of PCR-tests, isolation beds and intensive care units.Objetivo: Avaliar a acurácia da tomografia computadorizada (TC) de tórax em pacientes com suspeita de infecção por SARS-CoV-2 em um centro oncológico. Materiais e Métodos: Estudo retrospectivo e unicêntrico que selecionou 91 pacientes que realizaram TC de tórax e teste RT-PCR no mesmo dia. Os resultados da TC foram classificados em negativos, achados típicos, indeterminados ou atípicos. Acurácia diagnóstica, sensibilidade e especificidade foram calculadas para dois cenários: no primeiro, apenas TC com achados típicos foi considerada positiva; no segundo, achados típicos ou indeterminados foram considerados positivos. Resultados: A média de idade dos pacientes foi de 58,2 anos, sendo a maioria homens (60,4%) e com história de câncer prévio (85,7%). TC demonstrou achados típicos em 28,6%, indeterminados em 24,2% e atípicos em 26,4%. Resultados da RT-PCR foram positivos para SARS-CoV-2 em 27,5%. Sensibilidade, especificidade e acurácia no primeiro e segundo cenários foram, respectivamente, de 64,0%, 84,8% e 79,1%, e 92,0%, 62,1% e 70,3%. Conclusão: A TC tem alta acurácia para o diagnóstico de infecção por SARS-CoV-2. Diferentes critérios de interpretação fornecem maior sensibilidade ou especificidade. A TC deve ser integrada como um teste de triagem em ambientes com recursos limitados durante a pandemia, para ajudar na otimização da utilização de testes de PCR, leitos de isolamento e unidades de terapia intensiva

Comparison of hormonal receptor expression and HER2 status between circulating tumor cells and breast cancer metastases

OBJECTIVES: Breast cancer (BC) is the most common neoplasm in women. Biopsy of metastatic lesions is recommended to confirm estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status as there are discrepancies in these patterns between primary tumors and metastases in up to 40% of the cases. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are related to BC outcomes and could potentially be an alternative to the invasive procedures of metastasis rebiopsy. ISET(R) technology is not currently employed to detect CTCs in patients with BC. Emerging data support that the characterization of CTC protein expression can refine its prognostic value. Transforming growth factor (TGF)-B plays a role in BC progression and invasiveness. Thus, in this study, we aimed to compare ER, PR, and HER2 expression in primary tumors, CTCs, and metastases and evaluate TGF-B type 1 receptor (TGF-B RI) expression in CTCs as prognostic factor for progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). METHODS: This prospective study was conducted at the A.C. Camargo Cancer Center, Brazil. Blood samples were processed in ISET(R) (Isolation by SizE of Tumors, Rarecells, France) before computed tomography–guided biopsy of suspected metastatic lesions. Protein expression levels in CTCs were compared to those in primary tumors/ metastases (medical records). RESULTS: Of the 39 patients initially included, 27 underwent both biopsies of metastases and blood collection and were considered for analysis. The concordance rates for ER, PR, and HER2 expression between primary tumors and metastases were high. No loss of HER2 expression at any metastasis site and retention of the same pattern of protein expression in all triple-negative (TN) tumors (92.5%, 81.5% and 96.2% respectively) (p<0.0001) was observed. When metastases/CTCs were classified as TN/non–TN, CTCs showed high specificity (93%), accuracy (84.2%), and negative predictive value (88%). The median OS of patients without TGF-B RI expression in CTCs was 42.6 versus 20.8 months for TGF-B RI expression-positive ones (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: The role of CTCs detected by ISET has not yet been established in BC. Here, we suggest that this methodology may be useful to evaluate metastasis in non–TN cases as well as TGF-B RI expression in CTCs, which may impact patient survival. Due to sample limitations, future studies must focus on specific BC subtypes and an expansion of the cohort

Artificial intelligence software as diagnostic support tool in emergency room chest radiographs: a pictorial essay / Software de inteligência artificial como ferramenta de apoio ao diagnóstico em radiografias torácicas de salas de emergência: um ensaio pictórico

This pictorial essay aims to show scenarios where an Artificial Intelligence software (Lunit Insight CRX 3) was used as a diagnostic support tool in chest X-ray exams to detect significant upper abdominal or thoracic pathologies, frequently lost in the Emergency Room evaluations. The lesions studied were nodule, consolidation, pneumothorax, pneumoperitoneum, cardiomegaly, mediastinal enlargement, and atelectasis. The most frequently found radiological finding was consolidation (53,6%).Although radiography is an essential test of critical patient evaluation, specialists are often not available to provide reports so that the software can assist in non-radiologists physicians imaging evaluation