87 research outputs found

    Superficial myofibroblastoma of the genital tract: a case report of the imaging findings

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    Superficial angiomyofibroblastomas are mesenchymal tumours that occur in the genital tract and are well described pathologically. This case report reviews the imaging appearances and highlights the MRI findings, which have not been previously described. We describe the occurrence of this lesion in a vaginal cyst, which to the authors’ knowledge, has also not been previously described. The histological findings are also presented here. Introduction Mesenchymal tumours of the female genital tract are well described pathologically but the imaging findings are less well documented. We present a case of an unusual mesenchymal tumour of the female genital tract, highlight the key sonographic and MRI findings and summarise the current diagnostic and management approach. Clinical history A 50-year-old female presented with a history of prolonged menstrual bleeding and right iliac fossa discomfort. Her past medical history of note included endometriosis, a partially septate uterus and two previous lower segment cesarean sections. She had no allergies and denied any relevant drug history such as tamoxifen or hormonal therapy use. Imaging findings Initial pelvic ultrasound demonstrated normal uterus and ovaries, but detected a 13 mm vascular soft tissue nodule in a 28 × 20 × 25 mm cystic lesion in the left posterior vaginal fornix (Figure 1). The differential diagnosis at this time included a cervical or high vaginal polyp or an endometrioma, although the solid vascular component was unusual for the latter

    An integrated clinical-MR radiomics model to estimate survival time in patients with endometrial cancer

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    Background: Determination of survival time in women with endometrial cancer using clinical features remains imprecise. Features from MRI may improve the survival estimation allowing improved treatment planning. Purpose: To identify clinical features and imaging signatures on T2-weighted MRI that can be used in an integrated model to estimate survival time for endometrial cancer subjects. Study Type: Retrospective. Population: Four hundred thirteen patients with endometrial cancer as training (N = 330, 66.41 ± 11.42 years) and validation (N = 83, 67.60 ± 11.89 years) data and an independent set of 82 subjects as testing data (63.26 ± 12.38 years). Field Strength/Sequence: 1.5-T and 3-T scanners with sagittal T2-weighted spin echo sequence. Assessment: Tumor regions were manually segmented on T2-weighted images. Features were extracted from segmented masks, and clinical variables including age, cancer histologic grade and risk score were included in a Cox proportional hazards (CPH) model. A group least absolute shrinkage and selection operator method was implemented to determine the model from the training and validation datasets. Statistical Tests: A likelihood-ratio test and decision curve analysis were applied to compare the models. Concordance index (CI) and area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) were calculated to assess the model. Results: Three radiomic features (two image intensity and volume features) and two clinical variables (age and cancer grade) were selected as predictors in the integrated model. The CI was 0.797 for the clinical model (includes clinical variables only) and 0.818 for the integrated model using training and validation datasets, the associated mean AUC value was 0.805 and 0.853. Using the testing dataset, the CI was 0.792 and 0.882, significantly different and the mean AUC was 0.624 and 0.727 for the clinical model and integrated model, respectively. Data Conclusion: The proposed CPH model with radiomic signatures may serve as a tool to improve estimated survival time in women with endometrial cancer

    European society of urogenital radiology (ESUR) guidelines: MR imaging of pelvic endometriosis

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    Endometriosis is a common gynaecological condition of unknown aetiology that primarily affects women of reproductive age. The accepted first-line imaging modality is pelvic ultrasound. However, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is increasingly performed as an additional investigation in complex cases and for surgical planning. There is currently no international consensus regarding patient preparation, MRI protocols or reporting criteria. Our aim was to develop clinical guidelines for MRI evaluation of pelvic endometriosis based on literature evidence and consensus expert opinion. This work was performed by a group of radiologists from the European Society of Urogenital Radiology (ESUR), experts in gynaecological imaging and a gynaecologist expert in methodology. The group discussed indications for MRI, technical requirements, patient preparation, MRI protocols and criteria for the diagnosis of pelvic endometriosis on MRI. The expert panel proposed a final recommendation for each criterion using Oxford Centre for Evidence Based Medicine (OCEBM) 2011 levels of evidence.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

    MRI of female genital tract congenital anomalies: European Society of Urogenital Radiology (ESUR) guidelines

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    OBJECTIVE: To develop imaging guidelines for the MR work-up of female genital tract congenital anomalies (FGTCA). METHODS: These guidelines were prepared based on a questionnaire sent to all members of the European Society of Urogenital Radiology (ESUR) Female Pelvic Imaging Working Group (FPI-WG), critical review of the literature and expert consensus decision. RESULTS: The returned questionnaires from 17 different institutions have shown reasonable homogeneity of practice. Recommendations with focus on patient preparation and MR protocol are proposed, as these are key to optimised examinations. Details on MR sequences and planning of uterus-orientated sequences are provided. CONCLUSIONS: The multiplanar capabilities and soft tissue resolution of MRI provide superb characterisation of the wide spectrum of findings in FGTCA. A standardised imaging protocol and method of reporting ensures that the salient features are recognised, contributing to a correct diagnosis and classification of FGTCA, associated anomalies and complications. These imaging guidelines are based on current practice among expert radiologists in the field and incorporate up to date information regarding MR protocols and essentials of recently published classification systems. KEY POINTS: * MRI allows comprehensive evaluation of female genital tract congenital anomalies, in a single examination. * A dedicated MRI protocol comprises uterus-orientated sequences and vaginal and renal evaluation. * Integration of classification systems and structured reporting helps in successful communication of the imaging findings

    Diagnostic accuracy of FET-PET/CT, FDG-PET/CT and diffusion-weighted MRI in detection of nodal metastases in surgically treated endometrial and cervical carcinoma

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    PURPOSE:Pre-operative nodal staging is important for planning treatment in cervical cancer (CC) and endometrial cancer (EC) but remains challenging. We compare nodal staging accuracy of {18}^F-ethyl-choline-(FEC)-PET/CT, {18}^F-Fluoro-deoxy-glucose-(FDG)-PET/CT and diffusion-weighted-MRI (DW-MRI) with conventional morphological MRI. Experimental Design: A prospective, multicentre observational study of diagnostic accuracy for nodal metastases was undertaken in 5 gyne-oncology centres. FEC-PET/CT, FDG-PET/CT and DW-MRI were compared to nodal size and morphology on MRI. Reference standard was strictly correlated nodal histology. Eligibility included operable CC stage=>1B1 or EC (grade 3 any stage with myometrial invasion or grade 1-2 stage=>II). RESULTS: Among 162 consenting participants, 136 underwent study DW-MRI and FDG-PET/CT, and 60 underwent FEC-PET/CT. 267 nodal regions in 118 women were strictly correlated at histology (nodal positivity rate 25%). Sensitivity per-patient (n=118) for nodal size, morphology, DW-MRI, FDG- and FEC-PET/CT were 40%*, 53%, 53%, 63%* and 67% for all cases (*p=0.016); 10%, 10%, 20%, 30% and 25% in CC (n=40); 65%, 75%, 70%, 80% and 88% in EC (n=78). FDG-PET/CT outperformed nodal size (p=0.006) and size ratio (p=0.04) for per-region sensitivity. False positive rates were all <10%. CONCLUSIONS: All imaging techniques had low sensitivity for detection of nodal metastases and cannot replace surgical nodal staging. The performance of FEC-PET/CT was not statistically different to other techniques that are more widely available. FDG-PET/CT had higher sensitivity than size in detecting nodal metastases. False positive rates were low across all methods. The low false positive rate demonstrated by FDG-PET/CT may be helpful in arbitration of challenging surgical planning decisions

    Ovarian-Adnexal Reporting Data System Magnetic Resonance Imaging (O-RADS MRI) score for risk stratification of sonographically indeterminate adnexal masses.

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    Importance: Approximately one-quarter of adnexal masses detected at ultrasonography are indeterminate for benignity or malignancy, posing a substantial clinical dilemma. Objective: To validate the accuracy of a 5-point Ovarian-Adnexal Reporting Data System Magnetic Resonance Imaging (O-RADS MRI) score for risk stratification of adnexal masses. Design, Setting, and Participants: This multicenter cohort study was conducted between March 1, 2013, and March 31, 2016. Among patients undergoing expectant management, 2-year follow-up data were completed by March 31, 2018. A routine pelvic MRI was performed among consecutive patients referred to characterize a sonographically indeterminate adnexal mass according to routine diagnostic practice at 15 referral centers. The MRI score was prospectively applied by 2 onsite readers and by 1 reader masked to clinical and ultrasonographic data. Data analysis was conducted between April and November 2018. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary end point was the joint analysis of true-negative and false-negative rates according to the MRI score compared with the reference standard (ie, histology or 2-year follow-up). Results: A total of 1340 women (mean [range] age, 49 [18-96] years) were enrolled. Of 1194 evaluable women, 1130 (94.6%) had a pelvic mass on MRI with a reference standard (surgery, 768 [67.9%]; 2-year follow-up, 362 [32.1%]). A total of 203 patients (18.0%) had at least 1 malignant adnexal or nonadnexal pelvic mass. No invasive cancer was assigned a score of 2. Positive likelihood ratios were 0.01 for score 2, 0.27 for score 3, 4.42 for score 4, and 38.81 for score 5. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.961 (95% CI, 0.948-0.971) among experienced readers, with a sensitivity of 0.93 (95% CI, 0.89-0.96; 189 of 203 patients) and a specificity of 0.91 (95% CI, 0.89-0.93; 848 of 927 patients). There was good interrater agreement among both experienced and junior readers (κ = 0.784; 95% CI, 0.743-0824). Of 580 of 1130 women (51.3%) with a mass on MRI and no specific gynecological symptoms, 362 (62.4%) underwent surgery. Of them, 244 (67.4%) had benign lesions and a score of 3 or less. The MRI score correctly reclassified the mass origin as nonadnexal with a sensitivity of 0.99 (95% CI, 0.98-0.99; 1360 of 1372 patients) and a specificity of 0.78 (95% CI, 0.71-0.85; 102 of 130 patients). Conclusions and Relevance: In this study, the O-RADS MRI score was accurate when stratifying the risk of malignancy in adnexal masses

    Development and evaluation of machine learning in whole-body magnetic resonance imaging for detecting metastases in patients with lung or colon cancer: a diagnostic test accuracy study.

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    OBJECTIVES: Whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (WB-MRI) has been demonstrated to be efficient and cost-effective for cancer staging. The study aim was to develop a machine learning (ML) algorithm to improve radiologists' sensitivity and specificity for metastasis detection and reduce reading times. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 438 prospectively collected WB-MRI scans from multicenter Streamline studies (February 2013-September 2016) was undertaken. Disease sites were manually labeled using Streamline reference standard. Whole-body MRI scans were randomly allocated to training and testing sets. A model for malignant lesion detection was developed based on convolutional neural networks and a 2-stage training strategy. The final algorithm generated lesion probability heat maps. Using a concurrent reader paradigm, 25 radiologists (18 experienced, 7 inexperienced in WB-/MRI) were randomly allocated WB-MRI scans with or without ML support to detect malignant lesions over 2 or 3 reading rounds. Reads were undertaken in the setting of a diagnostic radiology reading room between November 2019 and March 2020. Reading times were recorded by a scribe. Prespecified analysis included sensitivity, specificity, interobserver agreement, and reading time of radiology readers to detect metastases with or without ML support. Reader performance for detection of the primary tumor was also evaluated. RESULTS: Four hundred thirty-three evaluable WB-MRI scans were allocated to algorithm training (245) or radiology testing (50 patients with metastases, from primary 117 colon [n = 117] or lung [n = 71] cancer). Among a total 562 reads by experienced radiologists over 2 reading rounds, per-patient specificity was 86.2% (ML) and 87.7% (non-ML) (-1.5% difference; 95% confidence interval [CI], -6.4%, 3.5%; P = 0.39). Sensitivity was 66.0% (ML) and 70.0% (non-ML) (-4.0% difference; 95% CI, -13.5%, 5.5%; P = 0.344). Among 161 reads by inexperienced readers, per-patient specificity in both groups was 76.3% (0% difference; 95% CI, -15.0%, 15.0%; P = 0.613), with sensitivity of 73.3% (ML) and 60.0% (non-ML) (13.3% difference; 95% CI, -7.9%, 34.5%; P = 0.313). Per-site specificity was high (>90%) for all metastatic sites and experience levels. There was high sensitivity for the detection of primary tumors (lung cancer detection rate of 98.6% with and without ML [0.0% difference; 95% CI, -2.0%, 2.0%; P = 1.00], colon cancer detection rate of 89.0% with and 90.6% without ML [-1.7% difference; 95% CI, -5.6%, 2.2%; P = 0.65]). When combining all reads from rounds 1 and 2, reading times fell by 6.2% (95% CI, -22.8%, 10.0%) when using ML. Round 2 read-times fell by 32% (95% CI, 20.8%, 42.8%) compared with round 1. Within round 2, there was a significant decrease in read-time when using ML support, estimated as 286 seconds (or 11%) quicker (P = 0.0281), using regression analysis to account for reader experience, read round, and tumor type. Interobserver variance suggests moderate agreement, Cohen Îş = 0.64; 95% CI, 0.47, 0.81 (with ML), and Cohen Îş = 0.66; 95% CI, 0.47, 0.81 (without ML). CONCLUSIONS: There was no evidence of a significant difference in per-patient sensitivity and specificity for detecting metastases or the primary tumor using concurrent ML compared with standard WB-MRI. Radiology read-times with or without ML support fell for round 2 reads compared with round 1, suggesting that readers familiarized themselves with the study reading method. During the second reading round, there was a significant reduction in reading time when using ML support

    Anti-tumour activity of a first-in-class agent NUC-1031 in patients with advanced cancer: results of a phase I study

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    Background Gemcitabine is used to treat a wide range of tumours, but its efficacy is limited by cancer cell resistance mechanisms. NUC-1031, a phosphoramidate modification of gemcitabine, is the first anti-cancer ProTide to enter the clinic and is designed to overcome these key resistance mechanisms. Methods Sixty-eight patients with advanced solid tumours who had relapsed after treatment with standard therapy were recruited to a dose escalation study to determine the recommended Phase II dose (RP2D) and assess the safety of NUC-1031. Pharmacokinetics and anti-tumour activity was also assessed. Results Sixty-eight patients received treatment, 50% of whom had prior exposure to gemcitabine. NUC-1031 was well tolerated with the most common Grade 3/4 adverse events of neutropaenia, lymphopaenia and fatigue occurring in 13 patients each (19%). In 49 response-evaluable patients, 5 (10%) achieved a partial response and 33 (67%) had stable disease, resulting in a 78% disease control rate. Cmax levels of the active intracellular metabolite, dFdCTP, were 217-times greater than those reported for equimolar doses of gemcitabine, with minimal toxic metabolite accumulation. The RP2D was determined as 825 mg/m2 on days 1, 8 and 15 of a 28-day cycle. Conclusions NUC-1031 was well tolerated and demonstrated clinically significant anti-tumour activity, even in patients with prior gemcitabine exposure and in cancers not traditionally perceived as gemcitabine-responsive

    Tomorrow’s Digital Worker : A Critical Review and Agenda for Building Digital Competency Models

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    In competency management studies, scholars call for the importance of digital savviness to hire, train, and develop new digital workers. Yet, the knowledge about the development of such a competence is still scarce. For this endeavor, we followed a systematic literature review to identify a sample of 103 published scientific articles and book chapters dealing with the development and implementation of competency tools in the past 10 years. To our surprise, our review suggests that the landscape of competency tools is surprisingly obsolete and that contemporary requirements of digitization have not yet been incorporated into updated usable competency tools. Through this review our hope is to provide competency managers and researchers with a framework to advance and upgrade their competency tools to address the gap between existing know how and the needed expertise of the digital world.© 2020 Springer. This is a post-peer-review, pre-copyedit version of an article published in Advances in Human Factors, Business Management and Leadership Proceedings of the AHFE 2020 Virtual Conferences on Human Factors, Business Management and Society, and Human Factors in Management and Leadership, July 16-20, 2020, USA. The final authenticated version is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-50791-6_14fi=vertaisarvioitu|en=peerReviewed
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